Mid Season Meltdown

This weekend seemed to be the last straw for my ability to recover.  Racing both days for the last couple of weekends seems to have been a bit much,  even with little to NO "training" during the week.  After the Boulder Cup race Sunday,  I needed to lay down in the bed of the truck for a good 5 minutes after the race before I could even take my helmet off.  Just plain beat up,  in spite of 2 great days to race.

Seemed to have pulled a muscle in my side from the side cramps I managed on Saturday,  got  some kind of strange,  searing pain in my ankle,  probably from running the sand pits at the Rez,  and now a couple of lovely bruises from going down like a sack of hammers on the off-camber grass at Flatiron Crossing on Sunday.   All that just as the topping for melting down several times in one race Sunday.

Saturday went about as usual for me.  35th place in the Beer-Drinking-Dad's League.  I have managed to finish in the 41st % of the BDDL group pretty much every race this year,  and Saturday was no exception.  Waddle thru the sand,  get passed,  claw back a bit of my losses on the loose,  twisty bits.  Repeat.   Best course I've seen at "The Rez" in my opinion.  Hard,  rough & dusty,  but just enough sand to make it "The Rez",  without going overboard.   Good Day for many of the HPM guys,  so all in all a great day.

Sunday was not so good.  Great course,  which was MUCH better than the video preview seemed to show.  Crazy hard physically,  with enough technical,  slick off camber to severely penalize even a small loss of focus.  Like an old truck on a cold morning,  I could not get myself to start,  so I knew it was going to be a long day.  Actually started out OK,  first lap was not that bad,  given how I felt.  Then we got to that long climb up the path & on the grass for the second lap.  The descent into hell began.  Rest of the race hurt more & more to go slower & slower.  Would melt down,  blow up,  recover and get going OK again,  all in one lap.  Even managed to crash on the "not so" off camber,  managing to fall with the grace of a dropped bag of hammers.  Just suddenly found myself lying on the ground wondering "what am I doing down here??"


OH NO from Dale Riley on Vimeo.

Managed to avoid being lapped by 2 places. Had I known they were that close,  I might have practiced better "lap management" to avoid that last lap.  59th of 70 finishers.  Welcome back to the 45+ open ranks.


Boulder Cup CX - SM45+ Open Lap 1 from Dale Riley on Vimeo.

I have to pass on my good words & thanks to Chris G. and Dan DeP.  for a great course & event.  Doing a race at a high-profile venue like the mall,  then putting together such a great race,  expo,  and event is just what will expose the sport to a wider audience,  maybe even "non-Bike" people.  Great job,  keep pushing the envelope!  Oh,  and can't forget to than the seemingly millions of event volunteers working the race.  Thanks to you all,  too!

Thinking it's time for a little break.  With the USGP race coming in Ft.Collins,  and me already signed up for the 45+ races both days,  It seems prudent to maybe skip the races this weekend.  Maybe a good break from hammering myself each weekend will move me out of my current "rut" and get me finishing a bit better.  A bit sad,  as I was looking forward to the "Sumo poker" at the Schoolyard cross,  it looked like fun.

Sorry for a lack of other race video this week.  Our Chief Videographer is down with the flu,  while also nursing a banged up hand from getting off cowbell duty and getting in to mix it up ON the courses.   I was way too comatose to even realize I should have taken any video on Sunday.  There is some good barcam stuff on 303 Cycling from Sunday,  and a bunny-hop-fest from Cyclocross Magazine from the pro men to tide you over.