New England CX racing based out of Maine
Shedd Park - Lowell, MA
It's not fall, its not winter. It's the season of CX! Well for my mind
CX just kept creeping into my dreams, my desires, my focus in training.
My first races in September didn't go so well. I would have a decent
start and then something would fall apart, being me or my gear. I rolled
tires in the first three races, I found my fitness not quite up to par
with the gents that had been training specifically for CX since June or
those coming off of a strong road season. I figured this was alright
though. I really wanted to be "driving" the bike come November and
December anyway.
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| Through Woods - Ice Weasels |
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When I last raced CX in 2009 I was
still living out at the gateway to the Pacific Northwest in Idaho. I
would find myself heading over to Boise, down to Salt Lake City or
Ogden, over to Bend, OR or to Portland, OR. All long road trips, all
really good scenes for CX. With all the CX hoopla going on around the U.S. over the past decade, New England still has the history and the depth that other regions will always be chasing to catch. I've really been fortunate to find myself in New
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| Driving the bike through the Kitty Litter |
England CX scene this fall. Heck I am fortunate that my road season took a break in August/September due to some back issues and I found myself rested and hungry to race in October and November. Original intentions focused on fall road racing suddenly became mired wandering down to Massachusetts or Rhode Island to race CX. However, after one race and I wasn't mired at all. I simply had lost focus on how much I enjoyed CX. How much I enjoyed the scene and the people that race CX, the difficulty and skillset required for CX. These folks are true Hedonist of the sport. I have a dear friend that resides in Belgium and races CX. Don't be misled, I don't have direct experience with Belgium CX racing or culture, but listening to his experiences I see similar CX fanatics here in New England. It is truly amazing to see so many different folks having fun and making a party out of chasing one another around in the woods, the mud, over barriers, through sand and up steep hills in tights.
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| Running through the Pawty! - Ice Weasels |
So, as with so many other New Englander's the right direction to go this time of year is CX racing. Now, I am perpetually driving to RI and MA as we head into its final month CX here in New England. As folks turn their final build focus to CX Nationals the first week of January in Asheville.
Myself, well I hadn't really put Nationals as a real expectation this year. While it was always in the back of my mind it seemed just out of reach with the other life balances I look to keep in check every day. As I write, I have found myself in a final build and headed to Asheville. A dress rehearsal for Nationals in CT? Yes but definitively No. The details are coming together, I am going through my gear with a fine tooth comb, my training is on tract and fitness is still rising. And most importantly my hunger is at an all time high. I am looking forward to what Asheville has to throw at us in January. I am looking forward to a road trip with our "director sportif". The stories and dialogue that only a road trip produces when couped up with a friend for hours. After all, its the journey that actually carries the most value. The destination? Well, I've done the homework and I just have to go do what I do, drive the bike. Let the moment take its course.
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| Sand Cornering - Ice Weasels |
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| Punching it through Kitty Litter - Ice Weasels |
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| Podium - Ice Weasels |
Day 1 & 2 @ NBX Verge Series at Goddard Park, RI
The Verge Series is a six race series comprised of three double race weekends, and it is brings out some of the deepest fields in New England. The Verge NECXS's three weekends of racing are heralded across the US as
the best from among New England's unparalleled events. Top pros from
around the country - and even from across the globe - come to New
England soil to battle for the coveted overall Series win. In addition to UCI points on the line for the Elite and U23 there is fierce competition for
Series points in ten categories.
While I had hoped to make it to all three weekends, I was busy working to recover and get back up to speed from some back issues that put me down in August. This put the brakes on me making it to Gloucester in September and Northampton in November. However, the December races in Warwick, RI were on my target list. The Goddard Park course is the essence of cyclo-cross in New England: twists and turns, rooty descents, challenging dismounts and the trademark beach run.
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| Day 1 Bottomless Sand Beach Run |
The beach run at Goddard is not only the longest section of sand I have raced through but it is what I consider live sand. The beach is on the Greenwich Bay so the sand is endlessly deep. When running the sand there is no bottom and riding the full length is impossible. Not a single racer entered and left the beach in there saddle. This really separates the hardmen and women of the sport. I would see my heart rate spike in the mid 180's every lap through the sand.
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| Running through traffic during the first lap |
During our race I picked my head up entering the beach and amazingly to my sight there were several equestrians atop their horses on the beach watching. How they must have been watching in amazement to the hundreds of crazy people running with bikes on their shoulders down the beach.The course continued to come at the rider with what must have been 30 or more corners per lap. The taped chicane part of the course was set in some beautiful older growth trees with sand substrate. The course here was 30 seconds of acceleration followed by braking and 30 seconds out of the saddle accelerating again. The anchoring roots of these behemoth trees were always forcing your line within the tape. Hit the roots too hard and you would bottom out to your rim, split the rooted line with precision and you would find yourself traveling the fast line.
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In the Tape - a maze of chicanes riddled with roots
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The constant out of the saddle accelerating again would benefit those with the system trained at short Threshold work. I found my trouble in the chicanes during the first couple of laps was traffic or getting through traffic. Starting the season a little late resulting in a lack of opportunity of gathering points from good finishes in the beginning of the season. So getting back to the front of the race from the fifth or sixth row can prove difficult. Especially when lining up against the high rider caliber that is on the start line of the Verge Series races. I would push my way around the chicanes and through the roughest rootiest lines, run like "I stole it" down the never ending beach section in pursuit. I really have an infectious desire to be at the front, maybe this is my most valuable weapon.Basically, I don't mind chasing. I did find it impeccably difficult to get back on terms with the race for the podium, try as I might. Day 1 would result in the final place on the podium, 5th. Man these guys are fast!
Day 2 NBX Trademark Beach Run into 4th
Day two would prove to be nearly a repeat of Day 1 minus the fact that
the course was reversed and laps were shortened about 45 seconds. I
would benefit from the 5th place finish the day before and move up a row
or two on the start grid. This would result in me getting to the front
of the race in the first lap and one half. I would catch the 4th placed
rider and see glimpses of the front three that flew the coupe on lap
one.
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| Log Barriers |
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| Accelerating out of the Chicane corners |
CX summed up, most would describe most of what we experience during
racing and training as distressingly uncomfortable we find appetizing.
We really cannot wait until the next chance to compete, the next chance
to drive the bike, the next opportunity of being immersed in that uncomfortable feeling, the sensations of going hard.
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| Chicane in the Trees before the Log Barriers |
I would battle my way through the field passing nearly 25 riders to catch 4th with two laps to go. The front three riders of the race were still a minute out as I pressed forward. Even though they were caught up battling one another I only managed to pick off another 26 seconds of their lead. Fourth on the day, one step up on the podium from Day 1.
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