Barry-Roubaix Race Report Type Thing

Wow, I'm not sure if I even remember how to write one of these here race recap things, but I will try. First some background to this coming season... This is sort of long, so skip 5 or so paragraphs down to avoid a lot of blathering. The report also lacks any photos right now. Not that there is ANY reason to see me in digital form, I just thought I would mention it...

Last year was the bust of all busts for my racing. I had approached 2010 with the idea of being "semi retired" from non professional, non successful, just hope to finish, mid pack at best bike racing. I would race a few races, try not to care, try to have fun, etc.,

I raced the Cranky Monkey 9 Hour Solo and was pretty happy with my mid packness, then I raced the Mohican 100k (for about 10k before my free hub blew, and had me walking back to the car and DNFing), then I raced the Hilly Billy in late June, it was a great race, and a format I really dug; shit roads and dirt roads of WV and PA, cross bike or mountain bike friendly, just not all that "Jason friendly." By the end I was a salty, sweaty cramped up mess of human suck. I limped across the finish line, and decided "yeah, I think I'm just gonna forget the rest of this season."

But that didn't last too long and I found myself signed up to race a a Duo at an 18 hour race with my friend Pete. In the meantime Wifey got a great new job, we were awaiting to be told where we would be moving to, and then it happened... DVT #2. This time in my left leg. The next day as I was giving myself shots in the stomach we found out we were moving to Mount Pleasant, MI. GOOD GRAVY!! Long story short, the race season was now OVER. Riding would continue, as would some weight gain, and lots of personal and family stress. I could not wait to say goodbye to 2010.

So in October we moved to Mount Pleasant, Michigan, bought a house and we're here for at least bit (a bit being who knows how long?). Once here, and having the DVT very much under control I set about to get back to racing in 2011. While not even "good" at racing it has been such a part of my life for the past 6 or 7 years, it's harder to NOT do it, than to do it. I'm not looking for results (other than trying to maintain my mid pack rep), just the joy of racing my bike, taking in the scene, staying in shape, and seeing some of my new home state. I will be doing a few XC races, along with some XXC marathon type races. Right now 100% of my schedule is going down in Michigan, and it starts with the 2011 Barry-Roubaix.

As the publisher/art director, yada, yada, yada of an endurance mountain bike magazine I SHOULD have been racing the 65 mile Barry. BUT, I figured there is no better way to crush my confidence going into 2011 than racing with a bunch of Pros and elite racers, and limping across the line in last place in the first race of the season. Finding out race time temps would only be in the mid 20s only served to strengthen my decision. As did the stress of the week leading up to the race...

I had been sick a couple weeks ago, then it went away, I got some great riding in, then we got 8 or so inches of snow this week here in MP. So I spent 1 day in the gym, 1 day on the trainer, and two days shoveling snow and hanging with the home all day because school is cancelled B-Man. I was also trying to get work done on XXC #11 and not fret about the race. THEN late Thursday I coughed a few times. Then I coughed a bunch. Then Friday I was coughing with burning lung butter. NOOOOO!!!!! The sick is back! WTF??? Oh well, I've ridden in worse conditions, it's ONLY 35 miles. What's a hacked up lung?

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Finally the race report (sorry for the lengthy intro):

Friday was spent working on the mag, followed by some time on the trainer to get the legs loose, break up some lung butter and sweat out some snow induced toxin intake from the week. Then since Wifey and B-Man headed back to Pittsburgh for a few days, I spent a restful and sort of lonely night of eating in front of the TV and watching a documentary about Roky Erickson, before heading to bed in prep for the EARLY wake up and a two hour drive to the Barry.

A fitful night of sleep, coughing and dreaming I missed the start of the race, brought 5:30 a.m., oatmeal, coffee, and driving. It was nice to start seeing the snow disappear as I drove south. Too bad it didn't bring warmer temps too! But hey, at least the sun was shining and the wind was calm.

I didn't know what to expect from this race. I mean I KNEW what the course was like, from having pre rode it, but that was with one other person. This time there would be like 900 other folks on the course- yes, 900!

I had heard rumor that Rick (the promoter), ran a smooth race, but damn this was organized, and easy. No waiting, no lack of details, no nothing. Just smooth. Line up behind the big sign on a giant stick indicating your age group and mileage, and wait for your wave to be released.

As I stood there shivering, waiting for the 35-39 year old 35 mile wave to be released I thought of a few things... ONE: I should have brought my cross bike, TWO: I wish I could stop coughing, and THREE: JESUS H., I GOTTA PEE BAD!!

3, 2, 1... We're off.

I don't ride in groups much, so riding with like 100+ folks in my wave was sort of nerve rattling, I just stood my ground, and tried to not to be "that guy." Meaning "that guy that grabbed a handful of brake and brought down 80 other riders with him." I wasn't, and shortly we were off the pavement and onto the dirt roads where things started thinning out.

The first things I noticed upon hitting the dirt was "wow, NO snow or ice!!" and "damn, I am NOT breathing all that well!" The breathing was a LITTLE from the cough, but more from a slap to the gonads of racing like this, meaning I was finding myself actually trying to go fast, pass, and get to the finish line ASAP (mostly from the fact I had to pee BAD!). Most of the racing I've done in the past, has been to JUST finish. This time it was different, and my lungs and heart rate were not happy. But I found a groove soon enough, then I just kept thinking "I should have brought the CX bike, these roads are SMOOTH." Followed by "SHUT UP! It's too late now, just pedal!"

We hit the Sager road double track, I was expecting it to be a mess, but it was pretty dry, with only a few icy puddles that were easily avoidable. At least for me. A few folks did seem to find their way into them, which could NOT have felt great just about 5 miles into a 35 mile race in 25 degree weather.

It was also on Sager that I heard this exchange behind me:
Sound of high PSI cross tire popping and blowing air.
Rider 1: Woahh, that sucks for someone!
Rider 2: Dude, that's you!!
Rider 1: Shit, it is! DAMN!
Me: *giggle*

After Sager, things got sort of blurry. I was glad I had been able to pre ride and knew when the climbs were coming, but for the most part it was just a blur of fast forest road hammering, leap frogging with a few racers, and powering up the rollers when I could. I do remember being passed by a dude and his 9 year old son on tandem on one climb. That didn't do too much for the confidence, but I got them back later, when I elbowed the kid in a corner. I'm kidding of course, not sure I saw them again!

There was one climb that I did sort of forget from the pre ride, but it wasn't too bad, and as we climbed we were greeted with cheers, cowbells and some dude blasting "Eye of The Tiger" from a sound system (me: head shaking in disbelief). I was losing any sense of form on the bike and was flailing all over it on this climb, it could not have been pretty.

At one point I passed Danielle Musto doing the 65, she had the flu, looked sort of miserable, but ended up finishing in spite of the illness. Ballzy. Then I met up with Bill K., who contributed to the last issue of XXC with his story on the Iceman. He was riding single speed and doing a great job. Not by plan, but we sort of ended up riding together for the last 10 miles, leap frogging with each other the way single speed and geared bikes often do when racing. Nice to meet him in person.


Before I knew it, I was on the last few miles of pavement back to the park and the finish line. I misjudged the length of the final stretch and approached each roller mistakenly thinking it was the last one. Standing on the way up feeling the sluggish knobbies whirl below me, sitting pedaling hard on the way down, feeling my cold, soaked with sweat balaclava stick to my face.

Then I could see the course marshals up ahead waving folks through to the park entrance. Just about .5 mile to go, I shifted, pedaled hard and crossed the line in 2:09:12. Good enough for 45th place out of 84 in my class. Pretty darn close to mid-packy-ness. I'll take it.

Coughed my ass off for a half hour after the race, changed into some warm clothes, had a Founders, shivered and hung with fellow MP residents Chris M. and Mike S., as well as the injured Garth P. I waited forever in line for a taco truck taco, bailed when it was taking too long, and ended up spending $3 on food at McDonalds. How do I always end up at these places after a race? At no other point in life does McDonalds food seem like a good idea. But after a race I am shoveling McChickens down my throat and Loving It.

The Barry-Roubaix was a great race, and a great way to kick off a new season of racing in a new state. I am pretty happy with how my race went, but clearly see how a CX bike would have been better, as would the ability to work with a group. Slugging it out solo on a mountain bike with 2.1 knobby tires was not the easiest. If I had any mechanical ability at all I would have rather had the El Mariachi set up like I did for last year's Hilly Billy race. It was also strange to finish a race and not be just totally destroyed mentally and physically. I sort of missed that, but sort of didn't.

The next race on my calendar is the Rust Shaker XC race on April 9th. Not sure that race will happen though since it's there is still about 10 inches of snow on the ground up this way, and parts north, and temps do not look to be getting out of the 40s in the coming 10+ days. But you never know. If that doesn't happen then it will be the Yankee Springs TT on April 17th.

Once home it was a night of enjoying some fine beers, eating Mexican food and playing video games. It was like the ultimate bachelor day. But I will say I am ready for B-Man and Wifey to come home now.

Gonna give the lungs a rest today, lay about, maybe do some work.

Later.

P.S. Was this all long enough? I don't think it was long enough....