Like a Timex....the Chippewa Valley Nutcracker...uh, I mean Firecracker

What's that saying about a Timex watch.. takes a lickin' but keeps on tickin'? Holy crap, that's about all I need to say about this past Sunday's Chippewa Valley Firecracker MTB race. Race #5 in the WORS series. Sunny skies, hot one in the 80's with four 7 1/2 mile laps to knock out.
In the Timex commercial if I recall correctly, they repeated show this watch getting beat up. If I only had pictures, I could illustrate a similar pattern of my experience in the bike race. (I'll try to include some of the bike later.)
Stats:
--6 crashes, I don't know what kind of drugs I was on or something but how in the world do you crash 6 times in a race? Twice into the same flippin' tree on consecutive laps
--Rotated rear shifter/brakes 90 degrees down (2nd Lap)
--Bent front rotor (2nd Lap) to ensure sufficient friction with brakes pads -- making sure undo force was necessary to continue bike's forward momentum at all times.

Helmets are a great thing however, it's never ceases to amaze me the magnitude to which you can slam into something with your head and walk away from it. I took a full on hit to the left side of the head into a 6" tree when my handlebars caught it. First thought, wow, I'm not unconscious,that's cool.

If the crashes weren't enough, try one legged pedaling a good share of the final lap. Towards end of lap three I crashed & landed on downside of a benchcut trail. I was stuck however because my hamstrings cramped & locked up -- I couldn't standup to get back on the bike because each time I bent my knee my hammy locked like a vise. Eventually after a minute (& another 6 racers went by) I was able to right my bike & get back riding, however the right hamstring would periodically cramp forcing me to pedal with just one leg.

That all said, I can't say it wasn't a race without a few good moment & some fun riding. It was the normal hard start you get in this Eau Claire race -- everybody hammers that first mile or two to get in a good position on the single track. I got to the startline late so it was very last back row position. I don't get bothered by it too much as generally I feel comfortable accelerating out of the field to get into a spot I'd like. It works adequate in most races, but this one not exactly the case, as I've learned the past 2 yrs. I could only get up as far as the high twenties (from starting point of mid 60's). The two mile lead out has a dirt road section that in dry conditions like Sunday creates a smog-like condition that even Los Angeles can't hold a candle too. Have you ever biked in fog where you couldn't see any further than 3 bike lengths ahead of you? I couldn't imagine how bad it was for guys even further back. The dust was horrible for a 1/4 mile.

Lap one is somewhat of a blur. I do remember Adam Swank coming up along side me & we road together for awhile. He got a bad back row start as well & was trying to climb back in his normal top 10-15 spot, he ended with 28th on the day. Looking at the results afterwards it's pretty clear without being at the front to begin with a person had little chance to improve all race long. Todd McFadden may be the exception, as on the dust bowl rollout we were in the high 20's) & he might have made the best jump ended up 18th on the day.

Lap two though the start of my undoing was fun in that I road a good share of it with MN fast guy Paul Hansen. Maybe one of the few guys having a worst day than I. I chided him into hanging on & working together. Had a great conversation -- he's working himself back from an injured rotator cuff and the inconsistency of training brings it's share of good race days & bad race days.

Lap three the bent rotor is already making me labor way more than I should. Paul after gapping me on a crash, I passed him again with Jan Rybar & someone else. Jan is like 48 years old and the man can hammer in the open sections. Generally, that's my strength as well so it impresses me anytime someone that far into a race can keep pouring it on and make me hurt. Jan shortcoming if you can fault him would appear is single track. For as hard as he went in the open sections, I could repeatedly close down any gap in the s-track... that is of course until I crashed... again... and again.

The race had some interesting course additions this year -- a monster rock garden, which when recreationally riding if it's someone's cup of tea to risk tire pinch flat or puncture to ride over some stupid rocks great. To have a 100 foot section in a race... I got say ...dumb! I done what I think is a good share of racing, seen alot of courses but never have I seen anything as extensive as what they had. I don't know if flats or punctures happened or how many people wiped out (Kate witnessed a couple at least) -- but there are alot of other ways to make challenges in a race without risking undo harm to bike & rider.

Maybe from the multitude of crashes or hit to the head I lost track of laps & wanted to quit after 3, but a 4th was in store. Perhaps it was the crazy angle I needed to do my rear shifting & braking with. Fortunately I didn't truly bonk like at some previous races this year, but it still made for a long day in the saddle especially at the tail end of 3 weeks of hard training. Delighted to see Kate & the kids, who did some great handoffs (perhaps TJ Woodruff's bro could take a lesson... probably see TJ's blog on that one). The end of the race didn't come soon enough -- given what happened shocked to have even finished 51st out of 70+ in the Elite race.

Coming up probably a couple weeks of no to low key racing mainly just one final block of training before hitting a heavy Aug & Sept race schedule. Red Wing next weekend is a maybe just because we'll be visiting family in Twin Cities. The Seeley/Spooner Riverbrook TT's are a possibilities. And lastly ended up with month on a crazy whim of what they call 24 hour racing -- the 24 hours of 9 mile race held in Wausau.