Let me just start by describing this course...Beautiful, Fast, Breath taking (not just the altitude). The Bear Creek Lake Park is a paradise for cyclists, mountain or road. The course is not very technical but does have a few really challenging climbs. As far as a flat land racer is concerned it is a great intro course at altitude. It's well worth the visit if you are in the Denver Lakewood area and you have your bikes with you.
Okay now on to the good stuff! I got here on Thursday night and unloaded all my gear at Matt and Laura's house. After a night of chilling out and downing some oh so delicious taco bell tacos, I decided to go for a pre-ride to figure out what I signed on for. I tried to take the course slow but it was just begging me to ride the hell out of it. I managed to hold back towards the middle of the course as i came up abruptly on "the climb" it was about a 4 story climb at a pretty decent grade. After waking the bike to the top (figuring I'd save some for the next day) I mounted up for the downhill. Now as a Kansan boy I don't see a lot of drop offs like that. The trail was along the side of the hill and it was a near wall to my immediate right and 4 inches off the trail to the left was a good long tumble. I made my way down through the bumpy twisting decent and unloaded on the remainder of the trail. I had to ride most of the remainder with my mouth closed so as not to snag an unexpected protein snack (it must have been grasshopper mating season). After finishing I was very happy with my new bike that I had brought out to Denver, and was relieved at the almost 8lbs weight loss it gave me.
Race Day:
I woke up early and snuck around Matt and Laura's house, so as not to awaken their beagles and deprive my courteous hosts of their sleep. After a delicious breakfast of PB&J and water, I gathered my gear and hit the road for the 30 minute commute. I arrived early at 7:45 and eagerly parked my rock'n mini van next to a Toyota FJ cruiser (I had to leave mine at home, sorry FJ) Suiting up with my Garmin Jersey I took in that sweet morning mountain air. It was going to be a good day to race.
After registering and getting my number, I made my way to the starting area weaving through the hundreds of cars that had showed up for the two races that were going simultaneously. It was 8:25 and the Front Side 50 was gearing up to leave for their 5 laps. I pulled up next to some other beginners at the front of the pack. I would be darned if i was going to get held up by falling newbies again! (okay I realize I'm a newbie too but at least I can keep my bike upright....as long as there's not too many trees) Anyways, I chatted with a couple of guys that were next to me, who both thought it was great that a flat lander had come up to battle against the altitude. My nerves where going bananas and my adrenaline had started flowing. "1 minute til start!" the race official shouted into the megaphone. Gripping hard and biting my lip I had a fire building in my legs and my breathing was quickening. "5...4...3...2...1... GET OUT OF HERE!". We tore off for the hill that greeted us. Covered in gravel it sucked what sprinting power I was unleashing as I fought to stay at the front. I was approaching the middle part of the gravel climb when a rider off to the side and in front of me went rouge and lost control. Slamming his front tire into mine I smashed to the ground with him. Well at least I got my crash out of the way.... snapping up, I grabbed my thankfully lighter bike and sprinted up the remainder of the hill as a large portion of the pack passed me. Jumping on my bike and slamming back into my clips I tore off, chasing down those who had passed me. The rest of the front 4 miles was relatively flat and fast. Zooming down the wide ATV sized path I was working hard to swallow up riders. I fond a good rider and mimicked his line choice letting him forge the path until he blew a tire and pulled off to the side. At one point a rider asked for my left when I was ready ( he wanted to pass) where I replied with a shift and a healthy dose of after burner. As mile 5 came I saw "the climb". My breathing at this point was already stressed and I was not happy to see that obstacle. Shifting into my little front cog I gave it what I could. My heart felt as though it was attempting to burst from my rib cage and breathing was less than productive. I came up on another struggling rider and as his rear tire spun with the loss of traction I made light contact with his tire. At that point it was time to get off and run it up the remainder of the climb. I was getting passed by other riders and had slid 10 riders back by the time I reached the top, but I wasn't worried about that. I was looking ahead at that gnarly decent that had spooked me a bit the day before. I told myself to pick a line and forget what's around me. Moving much faster than before I was still holding up a few riders. I managed to stave them off until loosing balance on a switch back and 3 of them squeezed by. I'll get them on the flats.... Finally! I was down and rear'n to burn out. Screaming down the course I swiftly captured the 3 riders on a slow incline and set my sights on a group of 4 that were ahead. Got'em. I continued to burn through the rest of the course, having to dismount and finish off 2 more climbs where other riders were bottle necking. I finally was caught by the women's champion and managed to stay with her for miles 7-9. Making a bad turn I was passed by the Junior boy's champ. "Oh hell no!" I said aloud and stomped it I caught him with in 20 feet and showed him the back side of my Garmin Jersey for the rest of the race (he finished a minute and a half behind me) chasing back up to the Womens first place I swallowed another rider, and then another. My heart felt like I had buried the needle in the red zone and pistons were about to burst out. Desperate for breath I sailed over a bridge, 1 mile to go. I was 50 or so ft from the woman's lead and closing in on a couple more riders. There it was, the last 80 degree turn then a 100 yard gravel sprint to the finish. Turning rather slowly, the rider I had just passed came around with me. He turned it up "Give me all you got!" he shouted at me. Who the hell did he think I was?!? I gave that mountain boy full tilt and then some. Smashing hard my front tire lifted and the swift orange bike dug hard into the gravel. That guy never had a chance.... 2 more in front. Like a wolf on a stray lamb I bared down on the next and as I came up on him looked him square in the eye. He didn't expect to see me :) and we came streaming in. Beat him by a second. Coming to a harsh stop my lungs released their last hard earned breath. It was over.
Results:
I came in 6th in my age group of 19-29 out of 15 riders and 39th over all out of 80 Beginner Men. Not too shabby for an Asthmatic boy from the plains, and only my second actual mountain bike race ever.
All and all I'm happy with my results and think that it was an awesome experience. I'll be back out next year for sure and who knows maybe I'll taste podium? Oh yeah sorry there aren't really that many pictures I was all by myself so I didn't snap off too many.
Now on to recovery and looking forward to the Tour de cure next month and switching it up to the ol' road bike....
Results
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