The rain has arrived in Northern California, much to the delight of all the sick and twisted cyclocross racers out here. Yes, there were people wishing for rain last Sunday at the 3rd Central Coast Cyclocross race. I guess racing at lactic threshold, running up steep slippery hills, flying around sand covered corners, and hurtling over barriers just isn’t enough for these folks!

Well, luck was with me and no rain appeared for the event. The prior days rain prepared the course quite nicely. No dust, nice tacky soil, only a few soft spots. I arrived at the starting line along with my fellow Masters 35+ category racers. To test the crowd I remarked out loud “Nice weather and no rain”. Two responses, similar in comment, came swiftly back “Too bad, it never rains for our races”. Yes, I have stepped into the cyclocross zone.

No sooner than that we were off, sprinting up the paved roadway to the upper portion of the course. Stuck in the middle of the pack, I fought towards the front, for I wanted not to be stuck behind as we entered the first grass and tight lines. Well, my legs failed me and I queued up with the crowd as we zigged and zagged this section. Soon though, we emerged onto a wider dirt road that traversed a short distance and then hair pinned hard right and headed downhill.

Here was a section to make up places. Tucked and spinning as fast as a gerbil in a Habitrail wheel, I passed to the left, I passed to the right. Then bleeding a bit of speed to take a right, around left, and a soft sandy right onto the ridge. A few quick spins of the pedals and then a left over and down the ridge. Lots of speed dropping down and then onto a wet grassy stretch. The wettest part of the course but dry lines on either side. I chose dry, the crossers chose wet. Silly rabbits.

Now thrown into a tricky hairpin left, hairpin right, with barriers mixed within. Never managed a smooth transition through there. Un-cleat one foot, brake and skid around the left, out of the other cleat and then run around to the right, over the barriers. At least, it sounds clean but I’m glad there’s no photographic evidence!

Back on the bike, a few pedals, and then down another drop to a slightly off-camber right. Of course the photographers were hanging out along there. It afforded them a spot for good composition and possible carnage. I would not oblige!

So I pedaled on, across and down the trail. Bumpy but easy to manage on my trusty mountain bike. The trail then exited onto a gravel covered section next to the parking lot. It rolled slightly uphill to a mound of white gravel. The white gravel was where we turned right and dropped down and then up a steep embankment. This little rise stalled many a rider. Good shifting and strong legs prevailed.
Quickly up the hill, along with my heart rate, the course now traversed around a field to the big run-up. I knew that hill was coming so I spun at a rate to give me time to recover. As the run-up approached, I ramped up speed and then shot up the hill… ok, not quite, but I did manage 8 or 10 feet. I dismounted, threw the bike on the shoulder, and cruised up the hill. I finally had a reason to be thankful for living at the top of a hill. All those days walking up and down paid off. Tough luck flat landers!

At the top, a quick remount, and then a sweet but short single track through grass and trees. Emerging from the trees, it was a fast drop back down the hill, running parallel to the roadway and the start/finish line. But at the bottom of this lay the final two barriers. One of which I almost tangled with on the 5th lap when my left cleat puckered up and didn’t let go.

Ignoring the 5th lap cleat incident, my dismounts up to the barriers were clean and efficient. Important, because just after the barriers we turned right and onto the roadway to the start/finish line. Hit that corner, quick look up the hill, and then stand and hammer all the way back up.

Repeat the previous for a total of 7 laps. Oh the joy, oh the pain.

Congrats to Rod, David, and Keith for putting together a great event.

Until next time.

Cheers!