Collegiate Regionals: Taste of success

So this past weekend was the Midwest Collegiate regional TMB race, which was held at Nordic Mountain in the middle of the state. The weather was nice all weekend, save a touch colder than I was hoping for, but a nice reminder that fall is here. Its taken me a while to get this post written up because I have been so busy with school, mostly because I put off a lot of work coming into the weekend. But then again, I always do that.

Saturday was the Short track race, an event that I consider myself to struggle in a little. All season I would kill it in the XC but suffer in the STXC. I was a little worried about my form coming into the race because I was tired all week. Put that on top of being really nervous for a good performance, I just didn’t feel good coming in. The race started at 3:30 on Saturday, which was kinda nice because I had the chance to eat properly and wasn’t tired from not getting sleep. I did end up cheering all day for my teammates, I’m glad I did, but I was on my feet all day. While I don’t think this really hurt me, something to pay attention to. When the race started, I had to fight around the outside to get into the leading few from a second row start. Not too big of a deal. I think I lucked out because the pace was pretty easy and no one attacked from the gun. After lap one Taylor Ladd went off the front in his signature move. Nobody reacted. We all stayed calm, and just rode together. The lead group was pretty big, almost 10 people. We ticked off the laps, but about half way through I decided that Taylor was increasing his gap, so I went to the front and pushed the pace. I was able to get my own gap in the single track. This made everyone else have to put that little more effort into each lap. I thought this would wear them down.

With about 5 to go we caught Taylor and passed him. I was in the lead, something that never happens in STXC for me. I continued to push the pace. My plan was to attack on the last lap out of the single track and just go for the line. Unless someone attacked, in that case I just had to hope I could catch their wheel and pass them in the final few corners. Coming in for 1 to go, Cody stood up and started coming around me. Not really an attack, but I reacted. Just then Josh came around my other side and really attacked. I stood up to match but it just wasn’t there. Cody and Josh rode away. I pulled them back through the next lap, but couldn’t make contact. Josh got it, Cody in 2^nd. I was really happy to have such a good short track race. It showed me I was in good form, despite my worries. I would have liked the win, but I’ll take 3^rd in a STXC, because I knew I’d be better in the XC the next day.

The XC started a little earlier. We had to leave at 5:30 am to get the B’s and C’s riders there on time. My race went off at 11. This time I got a call up for a front row spot. It was nice, but I didn’t need it. The first hill was selective enough that you could get around people pretty easily. Still nice though. Don from WORS was there too, it was cool to have him announcing the race. Plus having his trademark starting style was fun. When we started up the hill Eric from Ripon just went for it. He didn’t quite get a gap, but he put me in the pain cave. It was Eric, Josh, Cody then I. I was hot on Cody’s tail through the first few sections, but just couldn’t ride my bike very well. A few dabs, and a few bad corners and I lost his wheel. From there it was just a matter of getting my head back in the game and pulling cody back. Turns out he was having a really good day. I couldn’t pull pass him, but we caught Josh in the process, then I got dropped. I was struggling to keep myself going, just didn’t feel smooth. But my legs felt ok. In hind sight, probably shouldn’t have had any drinks the night before, I always feel slow in the head the next day. Mistakes, what can you do but learn from them.  But, Cody ended up slamming his derailleur against a rock and had to pull out. I was in third. I was feeling pretty good by the 2^nd lap and thought I could catch Josh. I pushed on and started to pull him back. At the end of the third lap I caught him and sat on for a few moments. He let me by, I figured he was hurting. I was to, so I didn’t attack him. He sat on my wheel, and coming into lap 4 I dropped my chain into the spokes, FUCK! I didn’t panic, and started to pull it out. Josh got around me and so did a guy from UW-Platteville.

I got back on and started hunting the two down. Eric was long gone, but I knew that 2 laps was a long way. The Platteville guy was killing it. Passing me must have made him hungry, because I couldn’t close it up. I was even feeling smooth in the single track, but just couldn’t close it up.  Finally in the middle of the 5^th lap I started to see he getting closer. All of a sudden, he was right in front of me. I smelled blood, and attacked him, gave it everything I had. He was toast. I kept telling myself that he was right on my tail, to not slow up. I gave it all. He ended up about 1 minute back when it was all over. Coming into the final few sections I could see Eric in front of me. I figured that Josh had caught him and was a ways ahead. He had about 20 seconds on me. I put everything else I had left into catching him. The last few sections are very technical, where he had the advantage. I just couldn’t close it up. Another 3^rd.

It’s not all bad news though. I had made up a lot of time. Josh was the guy who won the cat 1 race at Subaru cup. He beat me by about 5 minutes on the same course. This time he only beat me by about 1 minute. That’s pretty awesome and huge improvement. I was also crowned the D1 individual Endurance champion! That’s also pretty cool. Josh probably deserved it more than I didn’t, he only had 4 races that counted outside of regionals, but I still take it. It gives me a front row start at nationals. I figure I’ll need it.

Well, now it’s just a matter of getting in some more training before nationals. I plan to take some rest too; I think my body needs it. But I want to get in a few days just to remind myself how to push it. Next Thursday I fly out to New Mexico and compete against some of the fastest people my age in the country. Should be a blast, Skip is coming with me. I getting really nervous, but luckily I have a lot of school work to get done so that keeping my mind off the stress. If you’re looking for a way to keep tabs on me for nationals I’ll be tweeting about it, @jhmaloney. Thanks for reading!