San Diego Double Cyclocross Weekend (Spyclocross and Adams Avenue)

No idea where to even begin on this past weekend’s racing! After taking last weekend off from racing this past weekend was scheduled for 2 solid days with So Cal Prestige Series of Cyclocross in San Diego!

A conversation string started mid-week, erm, with “friendly” discussion on the race course for Saturday’s Spyclocross race at the San Dieguito River Park in Escondido. A course recon video appeared showing no grass, no pavement, a little sand, and some singletrack. Comments flew regarding rules, race promotion, and some friendly ribbing. All told, the event went off just fine, with registration being smooth, no course issues or lingering injuries (I don’t think!). I didn’t see any flats.

Temps were warm as Justin prepared for his race, and shade was hard to come by.

New Series Leader jersey!!  His first time in a leader’s jersey for any series.

Winning!

O-Show took the wave win, but Justin won his AG.

Shortly after, Ex-pro SX racer Jeremy McGrath lined up on his Specialized Stumpjumper FSR for the Men’s C race (left side Spy White rider)

I began prepping for my race way too early (as usual!), but got in some laps on the course, which I thought was actually really fun to ride, and hung out cheering on others.

Eventually it was time for my warm up.  Last year I didn’t really start doing actual warm ups until about halfway through the season, but this year so far I’ve been good about it.  It was really fairly hot out by 1:30, and I was doing my best to stay hydrated, but my stomach was bothering me, and I had a bit of a headache.

I got in my warm up, staged in what little shade was available, got 5th call up as I haven’t done enough of the series to have more points, and off we went!

I actually got what was, for me at least, a fairly good start.  I wanted to be on the front early on as there was a tight chicane section not far from the start and I was worried about getting tangled.  I pushed off, clipped in, and was on Christina’s wheel, going around a few turns from the start putting down some power.

Aside from the usual suspects was one new Women’s 1/2 racer, in a Trek kit, looking serious.  Had no idea who it was until I was messaging with Walsh after the race.

I pulled a small gap, but if you look, you can see CPT and pro-triathlete Heather Jackson (fresh off 70.3 Worlds!!) not too far behind.  Heather soon came around CPT and was chasing me down, and I didn’t feel I was getting a gap, so was totally pinned.

The secret to accelerating out of corners?  GEARING.  I learn something new all the time, Keith!  Finally getting that one figured out.

Braaap!

HOT.

After podium on Saturday we packed up, me in a mental fog, and hit up Sprout’s to get some granola for oats and a banana.  Yeah, that was it.  Random.

We got down to Steph and Dan’s house before 6 and it smelled amazing.  Steph has special magical powers when it comes to amazing cooking and put together quite an epic pre-race/recovery dinner.

Steph is now an envoy for Whole9, so check that out if you’re interested in clean healthy eating!

Dessert was just more roasted yams and apple sweet potato mix with unsweetened cranberries.  So amazing!  We chilled out on the couch and eventually hit the hay.  Sunday was to be another early morning for us as Justin’s races start at 11, and he wants time to get on course before his race stages.

Sunday we got down to the San Diego Velodrome around 9 for Adams Avenue Cyclocross.  I was SO EXCITED to be starting and finishing on the velodrome, and aside from maybe getting on the podium of a UCI race this season (didn’t make it at Spooky Cross), I really was hoping to take the win PARIS-ROUBAIX-STYLE on the velodrome track.

As I registered us I peeked at the pre-reg list for Women’s 1/2 and saw “ringer” Ellen Sherrill had pre-reg’d.  NERVOUS. She had taken the wins at the 2 races the previous weekend that I had missed, and since we hadn’t raced head-to-head, I had no idea how the race would shake out.

Aside from that, Heather from San Diego Day 1 had returned, and she was looking for redemption after flatting in Saturday’s race and chasing back to 3rd overall.

Justin warmed up for his race, and told me to get out and learn the course early.  Lots of wide course tape of varying colors, and already people were flatting and pumping up their tires for extra psi.  Temps were way warmer than I had expected, but I got out on the bike, and aside from running around snapping pics of Justin during his 35+ A race, I tried to chill in the shade and keep my nerves in check!

As Justin raced the Elite 1/2 men’s race early in the day (usually it’s the last race, following the Elite 1/2 Women), I changed into my race kit, met up with CPT, and following his race we got out on course to do some inspection.

During the men’s SS race I did my warm up routine in the parking lot, and got prepped for a velodrome start.  I figured I’d moved up a few spots in the call up rankings, so stayed in the shade as they called up the Elite women.  D’oh. The USAC official said he had no call up list, so I was left just on the barrier between flat tarmac and concrete banking.

We got our count-down and went on the sound of gun fire (that usually only happens at Nationals!).  Right away I found out that I was in my small chain ring.  Not a good way to start.

Laurie of Focus Bikes took off like a rocket ship, leaving the entire rest of the women’s field in the dust.

Amanda had 2nd wheel, with Heather and Megan Horner fighting for 3rd wheel.  I’m there near the back with Christina and my “shadow” (I don’t mean that to come across wrong, so just check it!), Ellen.

Ellen lined up 2nd row, instead of up on the banking of the track at staging; right behind me (she must not know how poorly I start! – I kid).

Despite Brita’ing (what, you don’t watch Community?) myself off the start, I was sitting 4th wheel coming back around the track.  It was mostly ok with me, since hole shot would’ve pulled us all along anyway, except Laurie still had a few bike lengths’ gap on the rest of the field.  Amanda (not pictured) was in front of Heather.

Still fighting for wheels, up out of the velodrome and onto course, chasing…

…and, I’m in the lead, not too far from the start/finish area, with Ellen right on my wheel.

I totally biffed a super tight/loose corner on the far end of the course, just a hundred or so yards after this.  I had no idea where anyone else was, or who was on my wheel at all.  I looked back once early on, I forget where, and saw that it was Ellen.  As we hit the transition from rocky abrasive dirt to rim shaking sidewalk, to grass park, I made a quick move almost running into a course marker, and heard Ellen snap the tape behind me.  It didn’t hold her up long as she was right back stuck to my wheel around the next corner.

While I didn’t hear her yell it during the race, CPT said she called out to me “Don’t pull her around!” as we traversed and swayed through the back stretch grassy area.  I knew that it wasn’t ideal, but I hate sitting up.

Tactics are not my strong suit (nor is anything off the bike, hmmm…), so I pulled, mostly, realizing that she was seeing my lines, watching my riding, my weaknesses, seeing where I was faster or slower.  And me?  I had no information sitting up there in front.

We had a bit of a gap, but Heather was charging hard after falling back initially (no idea what happened).  Megan and CPT battled it out with Amanda in the mix as well.

Ellen passed me, and I didn’t fight it, so sat in watching her lines as we charged around the course.

After the dirt section we again hit the grass again and Ellen looked back and sat up.  Not recovery zone sat up, but she let up the pace a lot.  At first I thought: Cool, recovery!  Then I started looking back and Heather was closing the gap – FAST.  If one of us didn’t go soon it’d be a lead group of 3.  I haven’t raced Heather (or Ellen!) enough to know how they were late in races (faster, fading?), or how they could sprint.  I wasn’t willing to take that chance, so around the next tree I sprinted up and took the lead again, wanting to get some distance between us and Heather once again.

My cross skills are generally lacking when it comes to UCI races, but I found I wasn’t losing ground to Ellen on the run up at least.  Maybe she also doesn’t like running, up hills, with a bike?  Haha!

No idea if my “tactic” here was working or not, but I got down chest to bar and just tried to “sprint” with all I had every lap.

I had learned somewhere around lap 2-3 that I was getting a small gap between the barriers on the dirt section drifting corners and up to this loose tight corner, where I proceeded to biff it yet again.  I thought Ellen was still right on my wheel on lap 3 I think it was, or 4, at some point…

Stop pulling the front brake around corners!

Eventually I hit the grass again and did a double take as no one was behind me.  Next I saw Ellen and Heather were doing battle for 2nd-3rd.

Staying pinned – wanted to maintain my gap!

Yay! Short barriers.

Velodrome win!

I was totally stoked, and completely out of it.  We had to stay in the infield as women were continually coming down the ramp and doing a lap of the track to complete their race.

Post race we chatted and got to hang out/officially meet each other, which was pretty cool!  Fast women.  I think we all enjoyed the challenging race.

Christina’s become my post-race spin down buddy, so once we refilled our water bottles we headed out to ride around the area and get in a cool down, chatting about the race and other ish.  We got back to the venue, spectated a little Men’s C racing, sat around in the chamois’ for way too long, and then it was PODIUM TIME!

Ellen goes, “Look at the sponsored rider showing off the goods!”  I don’t do it often, but it’s good to showcase the winning ways.

Big thanks AS ALWAYS goes out to Rock N’ Road for all of the support!

I was stoked on the high level of competition and sportsmanship from all of the women out there.  I was on my limit for most of the race, and really charging hard and nervous for most of it.  I really wanted to take the W on the velodrome, and it was a cool experience.

Huge congrats to all of us for awesome races, and the women in the B’s and C’s as well.  No one tanked it in front of me Sunday (2 women hit the dirt in front of me on Saturday – d’oh!  I wasn’t even being pushy!).

The race courses really couldn’t have been much more different between the 2 days.  San Dieguito was all dirt, some singletrack, some sand, and lots of wide open spaces with big turns.  It was all buffed out dirt with only a few minor rocks that weren’t sharp at all.  Balboa Park incorporated much more challenging dirt sections with hard sharp rocks (I had rim strikes every lap just about, and in warm up as well), drifting loose corners, and a good amount of packed/short grass.  I guess both had very little running, but they were both challenging and fun courses in their own right.  It’s good to mix it up, and I was really excited to take the W both days.

As always, big thanks to Dot and Jeff for putting on the series, to Chris for timing/scoring, and to this weekend’s race hosts Ranchos Cycling on Saturday and Adams Ave./Celo Pacific on Sunday.

And, for what it’s worth… I *really* wanted to take my first hand-up, but unfortunately the USAC official said if we took a hand up of ANY kind during the race we’d be DQ’d, and it wasn’t worth it for me. Maybe in LB, eh, Danger??

Celebratory post-race dining was at Pizza Port in Carlsbad (BEST pizza). I enjoyed a Hakunama ta-ta PINK IPA for breast cancer month. It really was pink!

Looking forward to Sunday’s race in Long Beach!