Hopbrook race report

As I said before, races will be acknowledged with quick and dry (well, as dry as a smart-ass can get) race reports. I'm working on a template to make procrastination a touch more difficult. Let's give it a test drive...

What went right.

I had no idea where my fitness was, but I knew I had no top end. The plan for the day was to push along steady and aerobically, without red-lining for the first three laps, then open it up for the forth. Well, that a little too well. I pretty much rode the first three laps with Chris Hamlin of UVM, coming through the start/finish seconds ahead of him to start the forth lap. I finished 1:56 ahead of him. If I took two minutes off my first three laps, I would have been on the podium. The math works out perfectly, please send me my prize money.

What went wrong.

1) I was in the area of a half hour late to my gracious driver's house. But that wasn't technically part of the race itself, so it doesn't count. Still fine tuning the race-day-morning routine. At least I wasn't awoke by the door bell this time.

2) Last lap, I've got the hammer down, opening up a sizable gap on my pursuers. I get to a little uphill technical section that I've got wired. I know the exact line I want. Hammer, turn a little to the right, punch it, head back across to the left. That was my plan. It worked perfectly the first three times. Number four, here we go. I hammer, turn a little to the right, and when I go to punch it, my foot kicks right out of the pedal and into my slightly turned wheel. The wheel's still spinning, my foot gets wedged in there, and I take an awkward trip over the bars. I scramble to my feet, paranoid that I'm giving up too much ground to my pursuers. I try execute a cyclocross mount, but forget I've got "last lap legs". Jumped up fully stretched out, superman style. I came down straight down on the seat, fully stretched out, superman style. Felt like I got punched in the kidney.

3) I was too ugly to get photographed. These are the most beautiful race photos I have ever seen. I don't blame the photographer for not wanting me in the shot. (more here)

...and what was learned.

My fitness ain't bad, I should try harder in the first 75% of the race.

Result

12 of 20. Nothing wrong with that. I'm faster than I was a year ago, that's all that matters.