Two~
Coming into the first WORS weekend of the season, bikeless, I needed to make sure I was at least ready mentally.
Slightly earlier in the year, Schaefer, Marchewka, and myself traveled all the way to Barry County, Michigan for an off road season kick off. Barry-Roubaix (in reference to previously mentioned hard-man race Paris-Roubaix) "Killer Gravel Road Race" was to be my first taste of the 2012 season. It promised lots gravel/dirt, mud, poor weather, and big climbs. A perfect way to start a hard season ahead, and to get a benchmark of where I was. My goals were simple, race clean (don't hit the deck), race hard, and finish strong. 35 odd miles of awesomeness later, I felt (for the most part) I accomplished my goals. Kept the rubber side down, felt mostly, pretty well throughout, and even threw out some major efforts pulling a group into the finish. My finishing position wasn't anything spectacular, but I was content. Besides finding a race that I'd surely plan on starting my seasons with in years to come, I also presumed I found my race mentality for the upcoming season. Stay clean and be competitive.
Getting my Superfly back, repairs made, ready to roll, the Friday of Iola race weekend, it was finally time to get some much needed saddle time. Out to my trusty training grounds of New Fane for some hot laps. After the initial delight of simply riding without experiencing catastrophic failure, I really started to see what everybody was talking about. This bike was AMAZING. I immediately knew I was turning faster laps than I ever had before. Bigger and heavier than I was used to, it was somehow, uncannily sharp and precise through turns, to the point of it feeling like it knew exactly what I was thinking and responding instantly to my every input. My preconceived thoughts of full suspension bikes possibly feeling 'loose, squishy or bouncy' were instantly crushed as with any acceleration I'd throw at it, the bike would instantly jump forward. Combine that with the fact that I was now able to float over rocks, logs, roots, and anything else that would have previously slowed me down without even so much as feeling it, it was just amazing. It's efficiency, stability, and razor sharpness completely blew me away. I couldn't say enough.
WORS 1 - IOLA Bump & Jump
Pre-riding Saturday, it was more of the same. Iola was a course that I thoroughly enjoy, fast flowy single track, a few hammer down open sections, and lot's of ups and downs with the occasional leg zapping steep one. The Superfly felt so damn fast, I was eating up single track, and the hills just didn't hurt as much as I knew they should, or had in the past. I was ready for my first Comp race!
And then the rains came... That evening a major front rolled in, and let loose all night and into the next (raceday) morning. Great, starting the season with a mud race...
Sort of timidly walking around the staging area before the race, though I knew and was friends with a few of my now fellow Comp racers, I was still feeling like the new kid on the block...
Race underway, feeling things out, the other racers, the course conditions, how the tires/new bike were reacting to the trails, I was feeling pretty strong. With a fairly mediocre start, I had plenty of riders in front of me, and so started to work picking them off.
Gaining confidence with every rider I passed, it wasn't long before the inevitable... In the dry, what is usually an extremely fast descent, followed immediately by a very steep ascent, in the mud, other racers realized it wasn't going to exactly work like that, but at this point, screaming down hill, I wasn't going to be the one who didn't at least try... After completely yard-saling, bike one direction, me the other, it was probably time to not take stupid risks anymore... Lots of hike-a-bike, multiple crashes, and lots and lots of mud later, across the finish I go on the only really two day old bike to me, completely thrashed, and ready for a trip back to the shop... But upon seeing results post race, I found, in my very first Comp race, I had made the podium! Forth place in my agegroup! I wasn't really sure how much the weather had to do with the result, how many strong riders DNFed because of it, or didn't even show up to begin with, but I was proud of that medal. My first Comp medal!
WORS 2 - RHINELANDER Crystal Lake Classic
Rhinelander is a long ways away. It's a race I'd never considered doing before, but with my schedule making it a weekend off, Marchewka securing a hotel, my fancy new bike (which I loved and loved riding), and my minor first race success, I decided to give it go.
-That official love affair with the Superfly, I can say coincidentally started the previous weekend. I got the bike completely dialed in racing as a relay in the WEMS Greenbush 12hour race. I and three other fast guy teammates took turns, doing single flying laps. On trails that I previously barely rode, because I frankly didn't like them very much (I may have even been quoted as saying 'if I rode there more, I'd hate mt. biking...') I was anxious to see what I could do on the new ride. Unfortunately we ended up being the only 12hour relay team, but fortunately, I needed quality time on my Superfly, and this was just what the doctor ordered. I timetrialed every lap I was out there, pushing my pace and my comfort level, taking risks, and seeing how both bike and myself would react. After setting some very fast lap times (and yes, coming to appreciate the Greenbush trails), impressing my teammates (and even more so, myself) I finally felt the Superfly100 and I had bonded. I was ready now.
Back to Rhinelander, again, preride felt promising. Bike was perfect and I was feeling good. Interesting course featured an extremely long, wide open leadout along the shoreline of a really, very scenic, beautiful lakefront. Only too bad with the speed we'd undoubtedly be going through there, this was my only time to see it...
A very humid, overcast afternoon, and with my result at Iola, for the first time in my career, I was called up to the starting line:) A lightning fast start onto the long leadout, I made my way up near the front. The pace absolutely screaming, I worked my way up to the two leaders dictating the pace, and very much surprising myself, sat right in there with them continuing to pour it on, and proceeded to walk away from the rest of the field. Thinking to myself, "Holy shit, what am I doing up here?!" and wondering how long it could possibly last, my uncertainty was answered when the pace was raised yet again as we got to a hill, along with a couple lap traffic women. Both of which caused me to become disconnected from the leaders, but still, seemingly sitting pretty well for the race ahead. Racing by myself, it just turned into another fun, see how fast I can go on this amazing bike, ride.
Then around the half way point of the race, navigating singletrack in the woods, "Is that thunder I hear...?" BANG, Instant downpour, crazy squall, can't even see in front of you, lightning directly overhead, rain storm. Terrific. Hustling down a switchback descent I had previously railed with ease, instantly became a chorus of screaming brake discs, followed by the realization that I had mysteriously made it back to Iola... At least on previously bone dry, dusty trails, it didn't become a mud-fest, but having the instant downpour onto the dry trails did indeed make it pretty slick and sketchy in previous high-speed sections. But regardless, HTFU was pretty much flashing in my head like Vegas neon lights, so head down, I kept hammering. Still by myself, I knew I had to stay on it as I was racing against the clock and subsequently, the other wave. I was having the best race of my life, nothing was keeping me from that finish line. An awesome run in to the finish, still feeling strong, and knowing full well that every second mattered, I stood up and pounded, I wanted nothing left in my legs after the finish! Hobbled after said effort rolling into the post-finishing area, beyond everyone taking shelter from the weather, I began to notice not many racers around that had finished yet: good sign. Final results confirmed my prediction, a silver agegroup medal, along with an eighth overall place! Only slightly bummed that one of the leaders that got away from me earlier in the race had been in my agegroup resulting in my 2nd, but still totally stoked.
Only unfortunate thing I took from this race, again, what effect did the inclement weather have on the outcome? I knew many of the big guns were in attendance this time, but indeed, Rhinelander, as previously stated, is extremely far away, so how many had not made the trip? Or even, had I just been getting slightly lucky racing in the poor weather as others didn't have the same exuberance in the mud...? However, and importantly, if that was the case, that these bad weather races happened to be a fluke, then I was indeed very happy with my gut feeling at the time...
As quote/unquoted by me to congratulating friend/fellow racer:
"I just really wish we'd have a dry race, because I feel like I'm faster than this. I feel like I've got more in me. I feel like I haven't really been able to flex my muscle yet in a full race."
With that, and if you know where this and the next chapter is going, Stay tuned, it's about to get exciting.
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