End of Season Races - wrap up

Well, it's the end of the season and I realized I really didn't wrap-up my last two races in the Month of Mud series. To be honest, not too much to summarize. This was probably my worst fall season. I actually had a good bit of fitness this year, but I ran in to a lot of odd stuff this fall. So first up, Brady's Run.

October 11 - Brady's Run State Park - 11th place Master - 1:26

Garmin Connect - Activity Details for Brady's Month of Mud Race

This year you weren't allowed to drop a race, and since I there was a race I had to miss I really couldn't try to get a good finish in the race series. I was on the fence about going to Brady's as I had tweaked my back slinging firewood several days before the race. But a buddy new to racing was going, so I thought I'd go to support him.

My only goal was to ride a steady race. Not fast, not slow, but steady. The course was wet (it seems to always rain the day before this race each year). It was a bit muddy, but traction was good everywhere, except on wood - foreshadowing alert.

The course was the one from 2007, not sure why the change as I really liked the course from 2008. Anyway, held a steady pace until I got to the first big uphill. As usual it was clogged with racers pushing their bikes. Got to the top and jumped on.

There were a lot of roadies at Bavington and the cross races, and they showed up here at Brady's too. I remember one guy in particular, he would be ahead of me until he came to one of the many log piles where he would promptly wreck on the wet logs. I would pass him, and he would jump on his bike and work hard to pass me again, where he would wreck at the next log pile. At one point, laying on the ground, he looked up to me and said, "I got no skillz." That was the last I saw of him as I think the falls took a lot out of him.

Not much happened the rest of the race except for one really good wreck I put together while attempting to go over one of the largest logpiles. The wet wood was just too much.

Didn't think much of the wreck until I tried to get up the next day. I guess on an already tweaked back, that wreck at Brady's combined to give me some back spasms. An injury I've never had before and hope to never have again! I couldn't bend down to tie my shoes, but I also couldn't stand upright. Hope I never go through that again.

Next update will be Raccoon cyclocross race...

Another fruitless race, but it started off so good. This was a new site for the cross race, held at Raccoon Creek Twp. park. Watched the experts race, and realized that it was going to be a mud pit for the rest of us.

I almost missed the start of the race while talking to some friends. Got to the line just in time to start. Normally a mtb bike with knobbies would not be the ideal bike for a cross race, but with as much as there was it was working well. I passed a bunch of guys that slid out on some of the turns. Passed a few more on a short muddy uphill where their cross tires gave out.

Then it happened. Taking a hard right on an off camber grass section, blam. My tubeless tire burped, and burped hard. No pressure at all in the tire - I think this was because I've been trying to run higher volume tires, but my rim isn't really good for this. Anyway, the co2 wouldn't seal the tire, but then I remembered I parked close by. Ran over to the van and took out a tube. Grabbed another co2, but the inflator wasn't working. Had a pump in the van, so used that, my heart rate sky rocketing. Throw the wheel back in the frame, and the disc brake hits one of the brake pads, and ejects it from the caliper. By the time I got that all situated, it wasn't worth me even trying to rejoin the race.

Instead I cheered everyone on, and afterwords Dave S. and I took off to Bavington and put in a really good, long ride. You know, that was way more fun than a race. So my worst Month of Mud series ended in a horrible fashion. I rarely get a mechanical in a race, but I think my luck ran out this year. Well, it's what sometimes, happens, put it out of my mind and look forward to next year.