Fort Flagler

Fort Flagler did not go as good as I had hoped wanted… Everybody at work has been sick, some one also came back from Hong Kong with some kind of disease…hopefully it was not a strain of bird flue, or something worse.!!..I wasn't feeling good all last week…so I took it very easy, and on Friday I could feel something in my throat…but I did an hour on the trainer, with a few 1min efforts and my legs felt great (one advantage of resting). This week has probably been the lowest training volume week, in months. Since the first race was on Saturday, for once I did not do a 60 mile ride with the team the day before the race (that should help)…

Saturday though…I just never got comfortable, I felt behind all race ,,, there was hardly any time to "rest"..lots of loose technical corners and a big sand pit, big bush stuck in my rear derailleur.. Combined with a bad start……it didn’t turn out so good.. Last ¼ of the last lap, I slowed down making sure I wouldn’t get in the way of the front runners of the Elite race, who were battling it out for the top spots. … ended up 13th, not exactly what I had hoped for… I would like to move up to around 5th or so.. I feel like I should be able to, hopefully before the end of cross season.


Sundays course was a lot more open and very windy, but had a lot of corners, a short step section that you could ride up, but if you didn't quite make it… big trouble… to be safe I decided to get of and run (even though I cleared it fine several times during pre-riding the course).…don't think I actually lost much time there at all…and it was definitely more consistent.
My legs were surprisingly tired from the previous days effort, it’s been a few months since back to back race days.. and without specific training, and the fact that I’m going 100% the entire race really is noticeable. At least most everybody else were in the same boat.
The start was on long gravel section… I actually clipped in right away…but as we near the corner…I can feel my rear fishtailing around…and I think I might have a flat…the pit is right here so I want to make sure,..my hesitation caused everyone to pass me…sweet….now I'm probably 25th..I think riding the loose gravel and the fact that we were going for it. made it seem flat, I’m still trying to figure this tire pressure thing out… it always feels different going full speed, vs. just pre-riding the course … … I managed to pass a few right away…after a lap or so I'm right on the Cal-Giant guy, when some tape blows in and wraps around my cassette… can't shift and the gears are skipping… I stop at the bottom on the tail wind hill and rip it out(luckily it comes out easy)….but after an initial surge to make up some lost ground, I never get close to the Cal-Giant guy again… a lap later as I jump of my bike for the short run up,,, I somehow knock my rear brake past the rim and into the wheel.?????.... I stop and fix this and I get passed again….I surge again , but now I'm starting to feel the efforts. and actually get caught from behind… I finally manage to catch and pass them with ¼ lap to go… and ended up a disappointed 13th again.... …well at least I didn't get lapped by Russell..

I might not be getting the results I want, but who does?… I’m having fun though… and I’m already looking forward to next year.