I told my wife I will win today!

Warning...this is a long post.

I spent the better part of yesterday thinking about an appropriate title for this blog post. I settled on the above after realizing this was a defining point in my cycling career as I'll explain.

For a couple months running, The Flatwater Cyclocross Weekend pb Lincoln Industries on November 19th and 20th was on the calendar as the close out of my 2011 cycling calendar.

I went into this weekend feeling fast and dedicated. After being nearly burned out after Dakota 50 the progressive race calendar has left me feeling faster and faster each week. With the time change, I decided to make the final ultimate preparation of pulling out the trainer and doing several bouts of speed work on the trainer after work to keep the legs fresh and ready to race.

Buiilding up to the final weekend, The cyclocross season had been up and down for me with dissapointment and frustration at times but also capped with small successes.  So as Friday approach my montra became; do my best this weekend and leave nothing to question later during those long and cold winter training rides.

Saturday Day 1: (Day of Mistakes)
Forecast for Saturday originally said 40 degrees at race time with 15-25mph winds. However, the forecast was much colder than expected. When we arrived it was about 31 degrees and a windchill in teens. It was that kinda of chill that seems to cut right through you. Yeah it was going to be fun.

Mike and I arrived in Lincoln with about 1.5 hours to race time for the 3/4 race. I checked the start list saw some of the usual suspects as well as Adam Keck and Ulises Salas from Iowa who I knew would be pretty quick as well.

Due to the cold and lack of preparation on my part I spent about 30 minutes kitting up in the car. Between that time wasted and the cold I didn't really warm up. When the race prior to the 3/4 race ended I only did 1 and a half warm-up laps (mistake 1). Instead I tooled around a bit more then got to staging to make sure I got a good spot on the grid (yay front row). After sitting in the cold for a few minutes it was finally go time.

At the starting whistle I slipped my pedal (mistake 2) and went backwards. I think I was that last guy onto the grass. Aaron Tredway made a fast getaway and took the holeshot with Ulises and Adam quickly on his wheel. Shortly after they got around him and were gone.

Progressing through lap 1 I found myself eager to make up positions but was bobbling a couple of corners early (mistakes 3 and 4). As we hit the top of Holligan hill though i screwed up my remount, 2nd time this year that happened (mistake 5). I gave back all the positions I'd made up. Shortly after I pulled my foot out of the pedal right before the gravel road crossing (mistake 6). After that I passed Paul Eichler and Rich Anderson but then overshot one of the final turns and ended up in the tape (mistake 7).

Finally closing out lap 1 we hit the pavement. I took a deep breath calmed myself down, then hit the accelerator. From there on out I went full gas on the pavement each time and rode as smooth as possible in corners and tried to minimize my mistakes. It took about 4 laps but with 3 to go I caught Aaron Tredway sitting in 3rd. For the next 2 laps I tried to shake him but couldn't. He was riding much smoother than I was. As we rounded the final corner I launched into a full sprint and held him off to take 3rd on the day and the first podium appearance of the weekend. Aaron and I ended up about 45 seconds down on Ulises and only a few back of Adam. Not bad considering those guys are pretty quick.

All in all day 1, I made a bunch of mistakes but showed I could calm myself and ride myself back into contention. I learned where I was fast on course and that I had a good amount of power to utilize on the course.

Sunday Day 2: The Championships
On Day 2, I woke up excited and feeling surprisingly fresh. That morning Becky and I went to our usual pre-race breakfast at Le Peep where I had my usual intake of egg white omelet with spinach and bacon and some green chile sauce with a pot of french roast coffee.

Over breakfast, Becky and I discussed the previous day but then something happened I've never really done before. I told her, I really wanted to win. Like REALLY wanted it. I then followed it up with I CAN DO IT. Now don't take this as cocky-ness I knew it wouldn't be easy. The field was going to be larger today again with some fast guys in the field, some of whom I hadn't been able to beat at all this season.  But for some reason I knew I could do it.

Before leaving the house I pinned my number and got partially dressed to avoid spending another 30 minutes in the car prepping this time. Again, Mike and I arrived in Lincoln with about 1.5 hours to race time for the 3/4 race. I got kitted up, went and spun a couple of laps before the Womens race and was please to find the course was identical except for the placement of the barriers.

At race start, there were callups based on the previous days top 5. Yay again a front row start. Let me say there is nothing more motivating than hearing your name in a callup, feels so Pro.

At the whistle I slipped my pedal again. I got going quick enough but was midfield after the holeshot. Not exactly where I wanted to be. I looked ahead and saw the first two podium spots from yesterday (Ulises and Adam) riding away from the field. I made some quick passes on the first lap and was sitting 7th in a strong chase group of James Blake, Aaron Tredway, Dave Randleman, and a couple of others. I sat in for the next half lap as James set the pace up front and we clawed our way back to the lead duo. Around mid lap 2 we had them close but bobbles but each rider in our group had us not quite getting there.

Chasing

At the start of Lap 3 I decided it was time to chase and I gassed it on the start finish straight, and Dave and Aaron got on my wheel as we pulled through the start finish. At this point I think James was fading. After the runup on Hooligan hill there was a short up and down, Aaron was in front of me and went down, I locked my brakes by accident and slid out. Dave came through and I quickly remounted and followed.

Hooligan Hill runup chasing Dave Randleman

By lap 5 Dave, Aaron and I were getting close again to the lead duo but just not making the juncture. So at the start of lap 5 I decided it was time to go it alone and as we hit the s/f again I jumped hard to get away from Dave and Aaron and start bridging across solo. Besides I didn't want to create a 5 way battle for a win. Once, clear of of Aaron and Dave I figured I was on the podium and I was feeling good enough to hold them off if I couldn't get across. That said I wasn't giving up.

For the next 2 laps I worked steadily. As we hit the s/f to start 3 laps to go the leaders were clearly in site and only a few seconds ahead. Again I charged hard on the road to get up to them. I made contact right at the start of grass. Finally solid contact with the leaders. Their pace had settled quite a bit and was enough that I could save my few remaining matches and recover. With two to go Adam moved to the front and started setting the pace a little more. Again I sat in and just bidded my time knowing the last lap was going to hurt a lot.

1 lap to go! Now let me digress for a moment. Try to think of a moment when you have complete clarity of what you have to do. I guess one could say those are defining moments. This was one of those for me. Up to this point in the race I'd actually played a good tactical race, I knew what needed to do, I knew what I could do, and I knew I could execute it. With 1 to go, all my instincts and what I'd learned to date kicked in. As we started 1 lap to go I decided if I had a chance at this, I need to be at the front for the final lap, drive the pace. I wanted to take control lay it all out there and see what would happen.

As we hit the s/f again I jumped as hard as I could and accelerated. Ulises quickly followed my wheel and Adam followed. Once on the grass I kept the pace hard as I could to fend them off. I threw a couple of brake checks here and there. Through the barriers, I remounted and again kicked. At hooligan hill I was off without hesitation and running as quick as I could. I remounted and gassed it. Across the gravel road I took a quick glance and saw Ulises had gapped a little but was closing it quick. As we hit the off camber dips I made a small error and Ulises moved inside. I chased his wheel. As we hit the 180 degree turn for the s/f straight he took a wide line and I jumped on it. I moved inside and without hesitation went to a full sprint. I glanced over my shoulder as I pulled out a bike length on them and came home for the win.

With that I took the 3/4 race win and the Cat 3 Under 40 men state championship.

For me, this was the perfect way to end the season. There's so many cliche things I could say about Sunday. I'll sum it up thought with just this one, the moments of clarity I had both before and during the race made all the difference. They made a belief in myself become a reality.  If you have those moments don't ignore them. Don't question them. Just execute.

I sit here now realizing how important knowing you can win is as important as training to win. It helps so that when moments come along, that even though you are suffering, you can still see through the pain and realize exactly what needs to be done.

If you're reading this and still have more racing for the year I wish you good luck. If you're done, I hope to see you on the trails and will look forward to racing next year.

Cheers everyone, 2011 is done for me.

J