Dueling Race Reports And The Impending Challenge That Is The Gravel Grovel

Yeah, getting behind on the posts again. Work picks up this time of year, so things get a little nuts.  The main thing right now? Less two weeks until the Gravel Grovel.  Sort of snuck up on me here (where did November go?), but I have been doing some longer training rides in preparation.  My overall fitness is better than last year but my climbing needs work. Especially since there is a route change this year which involves some new, and seriously nasty climbs. Also, there is more singletrack and the Forest Service was nice enough to dump tons upon tons of new gravel all around the forest roads. Nothing like fighting your way up a steep climb in 4 inch deep gravel. I’m planning on one final training ride this Sunday, and, appropriately enough, the high temperature for that day is going to be 26 degrees. I think I have some toe warmers around here someplace....

Anyway, I’m also a bit behind on race reports. So here goes some catch up!

I did the Indiana Cyclocross series race at Bradford Woods in Martinsville three weeks ago. Did not place well, and had a minor crash as I was transitioning onto a gravel road. Other highlights include getting a hand up twizzler stuck in my drive train after it fell out of my mouth. It was a beautiful (and dry) day, but the results weren’t there. I’m still looking for a good set of fast tires. The Vee Rubber X-C-X’s I got are great on dry ground, but as soon as there is a little mud, especially in corners, all hell breaks loose. So I ordered some Maxxis Mud Wrestlers to try.  We’ll see how these work out. In the meantime, here are a few pics from the race:

To your left, the offending Twizzler, prior to it taking up residence in my drive train.

 

To your right, a short downhill. If you zoom in on the photo you can see the Twizzler dangling below the bottom bracket.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The unfortunate thing is that the ICX races seem to be in an attendance decline. They announced at the start of the race that they needed everyone to promote the race to their friends since they needed at least 100 people to sign up for the next race in Richmond.  These problems are understandable, especially when the monster that is the Ohio Valley Cyclocross Series operates in the same neighborhood.  However, I think there could be better promotion on the part of the ICX, as well as by the race sponsors. 

 It will be too bad if the series is unable to continue. While I enjoy CX races, I’m not so enthralled that I will drive all over Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky to do races each weekend with the OVCX. The ICX races are more centrally located for me and limits the travel time.

That being said, this past weekend was the ICX race in Richmond. My original plan was to skip this race since it is a bit of a drive.  However, this past Sunday was my wife’s birthday and we planned to spend Saturday night and Sunday in Cincinnati. And Richmond is sort of on the way to Cincy.  So things worked out.  The course was actually very fun, and consisted of 2/3 open field and the remaining third in some woods. Also, the course was hilly and had some longer climbing sections, at least when compared to other cross races I have done.  There was one very short and steep climb which looked ride-able but most were running it. I was able to ride it on the third lap, although I’m not sure that was the faster choice.

 

Overall, the race went better than I expected. First two and a half laps were redlining and wheezy, and then half way through the third lap, things got better. I started to gap riders behind me and gain on several riders ahead. My breathing and heart rate also got under control. I’ve noticed this happen before and I’m not sure if it my body settling into a groove, or whether I’m maintaining my usual speed and everyone else is starting to become more fatigued .

Am I crossing a barrier, dancing, or marching?

Either way, I felt pretty good about this race and the 13/28 overall finish, although the lack of mud also helped. Mud and I just don’t play well together. Two more ICX races this year, the next being the state championship on Saturday. Rain is in the forecast for Friday so the aforementioned Mud Wrestlers are about to get a baptism by fire.