Vets Park Cyclocross

This morning I raced at Veteran's Park in Ann Arbor, dubbed the "Devil's Soup Bowl" by VeloNews. As promised, the course was tough, and the wind made it even tougher. There were lots of short, steep climbs plus a few long, steep climbs. There was no rest on the flats either. All the rain we've been getting made the ground very soft, and the wind was punishing in a few areas.

Everyone seemed to have the same idea I did about the start, it was pretty laid-back for a cyclocross race. I got a decent position in the opening. There was a lot of place swapping on the first lap. Some guys were faster on the flats, others (like me) were faster on the climbs.

Ultimately, I raced pretty well. I didn't have any of the little technical problems this week. No issues getting clipped back in, no getting hung up on the saddle. The only problem I encountered was that I may have had my brake pads set a little too close to the rims. It's no problem in the dry, but with the mud, I think my pads rubbed a little. Also, I was a little reckless going over the barriers. I was quick, but very close to tripping on the first two laps.

My pacing was much better this week. I felt like quitting after two laps. When I'm racing well, I usually feel like quitting with about one lap to go, so I took this as a good sign.

I had another exciting finish this week. Another guy in my club, Mark, had opened a little gap on me on the last lap. It didn't look like I was going to be able to get by him, but, like last week, I hung in there. On the last long, steep climb, he had some issues getting enough traction and had to get off and run (about half the field was running this hill). I rode it, which allowed me to catch him near the top. I tried to pour it on going down the hill and on the flats, but Mark stayed right with me. He was just behind me at the last corner before the finish. Both of us sprinted for it and I edged him out by no more than half a wheel.

Unofficial results hadn't been posted by the time I left, but my wife said she thought I finished 10th. It was a big field today, maybe 25 to 30 racers.

I'm recovering a little better today than usual. I'm still wiped out, but it doesn't seem as bad as it has other times. I slept for about an hour after I got home, which was good. I've also been focusing on drinking lots of water throughout the day after a race. I think that's why I get headaches after races, from dehydration. Anyway, it seems to be working.