Windham

If you follow along closely, you’ll remember that my trip to Missoula Montana was amazing. If I had to sum up that trip, I would do so by saying it was life changing. The trails in Montana are in a different universe, technical in a completely different way than here in Wisconsin. The mountains are so beautiful; I was truly in awe the entire time. I returned a different rider for sure.

And return I did, for a short while at least. The weekend following, this past weekend, was another big trip to Windham, NY for the next round of the Pro XCT. This time I was driving out with a UW freshman Lukas Erdmann, who is more of a downhiller. The weekend was a UCI C2 XC race and a Pro GRT for Lukas who is  still a cat 2, but really pushing to make it big. We drove out Thursday morning to make the 15+ our drive in time to practice Friday, race Saturday and Sunday.

Unlike Missoula, I wasn’t as excited. I still don’t know exactly why but my thought is that it has something to do with all the travel. Knowing full well how long the drive would be and being tired from the weekend before still, I was dragging a little bit. But I think in addition, the sheen has been scuffed away from the trips as well. Windham was my third big drive this summer, and the independent adventurous feeling only last so long. But for whatever reason I wasn’t having any trouble containing my excitement. But don’t get me wrong, I was still excited to prove that my solid finish in Missoula was no fluke.

I was pumped to show that I could perform weekend after weekend, but my lack of excitement was keeping me from fully focusing on the trip. I was a little slower to pack, I was a little less organized, and after spending all that cash on Missoula, a little strapped for cash. Things seemed to be building up against me. I wasn’t overwhelmed, but I wasn’t as full of pure excitement like the weekend before. I wasn’t really worried about this until the morning of the race.

After spending Friday doing my pre-ride and getting acquainted with the course, I did a hard lap to try and open up. After racing the Missoula STXC the day before the XC, I found that I really need that hard effort and long warm up to really get the engine going. I would say I don’t have it dialed in just yet, but when I’m in these racing cycles where it’s race and rest, the legs really need to be opened up good with a hard effort. So I did my best with a race pace lap. I still didn’t feel amazing when I was done so I rode back to the hotel.

I slept like a baby that night but woke up on Saturday still feeling tired or down. The legs just felt heavy. As I sat around waiting for the day to pass and the race to start I tried to get excited about being there, about being in the mountains racing my bike. I was excited, but just not like the week before. But once I got the skin suit on it was all business. The legs still were not feeling it, but I just focused on getting ready and getting warmed up. I followed the same warm-up as Missoula and headed to the start line. I was called up about mid pack this time which was very nice. The field was a little smaller, but not much. The field was not quite as strong, but not by much.

When the whistle blew all those feeling of worry, the heavy legs and all went away and up the start climb we went. I was happy to feel like the start was a little bit easier than in Missoula. I felt a little more in control and moved up from my 25^th call up into the top 20. Just as the start was different, so was the rest of the race.

 

I’ll take a quick moment to describe the course. The course was very hard. Missoula beat you up with elevation, a lot of climbing. But it wasn’t rough. Alabama was rough, and so was Windham. There were tons or rocks on the trail making the hits and drops much harder. There were tons of roots clustered together. So like Alabama it was rough, but like Missoula it was on a mountain, a real mountain, a real big one. So the climbs were technical, uphill rock gardens. Slow tractor pulls up the side of a steep climb. A lot of out of the saddle full gas efforts followed by very technical descending. Missoula had some rest. Alabama never really taxed you very deep. Windham put you in the hurt box and kept you there. But this made it fun. The technical sections were exhilarating, almost terrifying. The recipe was lean back, keep your balance and use just the right amount of brakes (very little).

So as we made our way up the first climb, I felt like I was capable of staying with any wheel I wanted. We made our way into the first small section of rocks and a small gap opened up. I was quick to close it as I made another pass. The terrain got very steep and another gap goes open and again I close it up making the pass around a switchback. As we topped the climb I could see the front of the race! But I felt those efforts right away. It was a short flat gravel road into the first sections of single track. I lost a spot but things were still together. When we hit the single track I felt like I was being held up as I watched the front of the race ride away with ease.

The race continued. Instead of me making passes after passes to get into the top half of the field I was already there. So it was a battle on the slopes to squeeze every ounce of strength out of the legs and using that effort to try and get away in the technical single track. After 5 laps I was sitting 15^th with small gaps in front and behind. I like it went the gaps open up towards the end of the race because everyone goes a little easier. But on the Pro XCT, nobody goes easy, ever. I was making time on the rider in front through the technical sections, but the rider behind me was making time on me in the climbs and holding on the descents. Coming into the final lap I made the pass for 14^th And kept pushing as 13^th was close as well. The rider behind was making ground with every section. About half way up the climb I was caught and it was a no contest for him to make the pass. I wasn’t blow, but I was on the knifes edge. I watched him pass and knew that I needed to raise the pace, but I needed to do it within myself and not blindly follow him up. I’d blow if I tried that.

I brought the effort up in the single track to what I could manage and rode like an animal, for better or worse, up the climbs to try and close the gap. But it was no use. He was out of sight and I was starting to blow. The gap behind him was huge so I let up and did what I could to finish up the climb. All that was left was a couple small hard efforts on the descent but I told myself to enjoy it. Section after section and I felt completely beat. My back was hurting from the rough course and despite the ‘easy’ pace down my legs were on fire. I emerged from the final section feeling good about my position. As I rounded the final corner, I could see the rider in front of me was right there. I was a little frustrated thinking I might have been able to catch him, but probably not.

So it was an exciting race for sure. The entire time it was close racing with passes being made and then made back. I found that I was strong on the climbs, but not the strongest. I was actually holding my own in the technical sections, despite the 26 inch hard tail. But the rough course was calling me to have bigger wheels. I got my water feeds dialed in, and proved that I can ride with the best weekend after weekend. Very happy with the weekend.

But still no points, that will be the big moment for sure. Subaru Cup is next right in my backyard. I can’t wait.