Pre-Turkey Sufferfest

So I am thinking that there needs to be some suffering dished out today in order to build an appropriate appetite for Thursday! With the caloric intake that is scheduled, a primed athlete knows that they must show self control and restraint not to potentially derail months of training. This need for restraint is even more important when the racer knows that there are very important races occuring over the weekend following the caloric pigfest, like, for example, possibly, a big race CX in San Francisco! However knowing that we are FT3 and self control in not in our play book, we will instead have to cram tonight. Just like days of yore, when the prime mode of studying was the crack the book the night before the test and only the night before the test, we will dust off that tried and true system and go hard tonight and eat way too much on Thursday and pay the price on Sunday! I love your work FT3!

Rock God offered up the race report below. I am still awaiting the results to be posted to talk about my placing...I felt strong and good and was pretty sure all the chic's were behind me. However, Cap'ns questions post race have me worried in my boots...I'll get the results up as soon as possible. One correction on Rock God's report: The Chili Feed is POST not pre event on the 20th of December!

FT3; It was another great day, the new steed and training program are hitting full stride. I got the bike assembled at the Spoke on Friday, a few minor adjustments and the break-in ride went great; Jerry and I went out for a bike trail ride on Saturday and I extended it to the upper section and some Schnell School cross practice. I'm finding a good solid 2 hour pre-race day ride is working best. The warm up laps revealed a fast course with a few tricky turns and a couple power robbing sections; no real cross conditions yet. They split the Masters B 35+/45+ field with us older guys starting a minute back but contesting for separate primes and finishes. I was able to get away mid-way through lap 1 take the $30 prime and kept glancing back at the six man train behind; the open course provided a good vantage point. I kept motoring and got into the bulk of the 35+ field pretty quickly. In the final few laps I was able to get some rest by momentarily riding the wheel of a 35+ rider but I kept up my pace and was able to jump around and move up to the next guy. I was surprised to see Jerry and the other top guys, minus Joe Miller who was away, spread about by 4-5 seconds each going into the final few laps; need to use those wheels for rest. I was hoping to bring Jerry up to 'Matty the skinny mountain biker', but no Jerry on my wheel as we worked into the final lap. I gapped Matty just before the last pavement section and one technical section. So I was able stay away to the finish passing all but the winner of the 35+ race. Another good race weekend and time to move up to A's; after I win this title. :-) Grant Cody, who beat me in the first two races finished third, so I should be close on points. The Lynskey ProCross handled awesome and glided over the fast bumpy course. I'm a pretty happy camper with both the form and bikes going well. Looking forward to Golden Gate Park and The Barnes pre-chili fest race on Dec. 20th. I'm also trying to see if I can get a ride up at the USGP in Portland on Dec. 5th-6th; that will be a truly humbling mud fest for sure. Hat's off the the awesome FT3 crew for raising the bar and making it fun. Rick aka Rock God aka Manny Rollo

Late Entry by Cap'n...actually early entry...too early...checking my email from home, it was on page two. My apologise to Cap'n and podium placer...

Alright. Here is the report from the Masters 35+ B category.

We towed the line and the race promoter decided to seperate us by age category. This just after Manny and I were getting ready to launch an FT3 flyer off the front. No such luck, us youngen's moved to the front and were on our way.

I will start by saying there was no rain during our race and the course was dead flat, there was only one set of barriers, and the most technical part was tight turns on grass. Very fast course.

I knew what I had to do yesterday, and that was to win (If I am going to take the series). It's actually not a fun position to be in. In lap one, my rival Joe Miller bumped me and his rear derailleur cable caught my skewer and ripped it off his frame, which rendered his R derail useless. Tough luck for him, thankfully my skewer remained closed. No matter, dude was charging. I think he toyed with us for four laps then just rode away. Me and a newbie to the series battled hard to stay with him, so did Vance Jones (3rd in the series overall), who was right behind me. The newbie and I traded leads for a bit, the pace was high, and he ended up in front of me as we were coming into the last three laps. My plan was to stay close and nip him either in a sprint or on the last lap. As we reached the three laps to go mark, we started encountering an increasing amount of traffic...lapped riders and I believe several open Bs warming up who should not have been there. For me, that was extremely frustrating. Two laps to go and guess what, here comes Manny passing me...
I thought Manny might help me get up with the newbie, I chased both of them on the second to last lap and on the last lap, I'm trying to make my move and there was a bunch of about three riders in a tight spot, and nobody is moving over to let me through. One SGW rider actaully had me 'on the ropes' not moving over at all, so I had the familiar and unwanted spike of adreneline. I got by him, now I'm frustrated and chasing, but alas, I didn't catch the newbie. I did unload on the SGW guy after he crossed the line though, right in front of the entire B group which was lining up. In the end I don't feel too good about that part and I am wondering if I am taking this racing thing a bit too seriously. I am wondering whether I would be having more fun racing for 15th in the Masters 35+ A category, since this whole battle-for-first in the series has me all wrapped around the axle.

Manny is tha Man.

Until we ride,
LOtB
One!