Surf City CX #2

So Katie and I showed up in the parking lot at about nine to find Kyle and Gin hanging out in the parking lot. We walked over to try and catch the end of Scott's sandbagging C race, but we just missed it. After chatting with him for a bit, he handed my bike back to me and I went and registered. I saw Bob finish his race up and pointed him over to where the rest of the TWW crew was hanging out.

Kyle and I went out for a quick warm up lap, only to find out people weren't kidding when they said that the long, gigantic run-up was tough. (Although, after the race, Katie was telling me it looked like this cross thing looks like a lot of fun. Then I showed her the hill. Her response was, "Well, it would be easy to go down." I looked at her like, are you crazy! Maybe its time to get her a DH bike and a CX bike! Oh, and a cute pink rock lobster road bike, she really like the pink rock lobsters.)

So Kyle fiddled with Heather's bike for a little bit while I took another warm-up lap. I headed over to the line and waited around with the rest of the roadies that work harder at getting a better starting position than they do during the entire race. Kyle and and I were sort of in the second and a half row when the whistle blew. We took off, probably in about 15th or 20th place. I feel like I kept up with the leaders and got a really good start. Over the barriers, and through the blair witch swirly I still had the leaders in my sights. But once we hit that crazy run-up, it was a different story. Kyle came charging up past me and I figured that was that. Here is where my race goes downhill and everyone starts passing me.

I kept Kyle in my sights through out the rest of the lap and managed to pass him as he was trying to put his bottle back in his jersey before the swirly on the second lap. I hit that swirly and felt really good. I started catching and passing people and just kept reeling people in. And this time, no Kyle charging past me up the hill. I have to give a big thanks to Jeff and Shannon. They kept yelling at me up the hill and it really drove me to try to catch people. Oh, and it was funny to see Jeff yelling at me as I rode up one little technical thing, "Yeah, that's how you do it, yeah Matt! Now go catch that guy!" Everyone kept dismounting it and sort of walking it, tired from the run up. Wussies.

After my third lap, I took a water hand off from Katie, and back at it. I sort of dropped the hammer and caught a few more people during the lap. But at the end of the 4th lap, I had three guys on my ass. I increased my lead a little over the barriers, and through the swirly. But on the back end of the course on the flats, two of them passed me. Luckily, they were both Junior As. I saw the big Sycip guy up ahead, so I hit the gas for the last few hundred yards. I managed to pass him, and almost catch one of the Junior As, but not quite.

Anyway, 25th out of 49. Way better than last week. I had a blast, and managed to be competitive. I wonder how I would have done if I had to do a 6th lap. My race was only 44 minutes this week, and last weeks was 51 minutes. Who cares, I'll take the solid midpack finish in the Bs. I guess my next goal is a top 10. I think its within reach by the end of the season. I'll have to wait until the results come out, but I was 4 minutes behind the leader (last week it was 6).

Thanks again to all the Bellas and everyone who helped out for another awesome race. See every at McLaren Park in SF next Sunday.

Matt