Horning's Hideout: Down, but not out!
After a disappointing Alpenrose cross race, I was looking forward to lining up at Horning’s Hideout for the second Cross Crusade race. James, both in human and dog form, and I loaded up the Pedro’s van and headed over the dry pass. I’m not looking forward to driving the beast in the snow for the first time, but it will be soon enough. It was a good drive over ‘cause James and I haven’t been hanging out too much lately, due to our busy schedules and travels. A good buddy can be taken for granted sometimes and it was good to catch up on life. Foggy, cold air greeted us on the other side of the pass and I was glad that I had just purchased a new long sleeve jersey from Sunnyside. As we got closer to the venue, the skies had cleared and we were in for great weather once again.
From what I remembered of last years course, it was a hilly, technical, mountain-bikeish course. Wooded trail, hills and not much rest. Oh yeah, and the six pack barrier, with a rather fast and dangerous gravel downhill lead in, that Chris B. stacked it on. Upon arrival to the area, after a forest road detour/long way around thanks to the TomTom gps, I heard that the course was different. The only problem I heard…it was even harder with no spots to rest and kidney jarring grass fields. “It feels like it’s all up hill,” is how Jon Hansen described it. Sweet (sarcasm)! Normally, I would thrive on a hard, hilly course…at least that’s what I like to think. Today it wasn’t meant to be that way. A few warm up laps, a ride on the trainer and some conversation later, I headed down to the bottom of the bowl to line up. I was almost too busy chatting and watching the women finish to notice that all the boys had lined up already! Oops. Fortunately Brad Ross gave me a second row call up this week. Thanks Brad!
From the start line the course went something like this: Short up hill out of the bowl (only used for the start), into the woods for a quick singe track descent into a bumpy as s*@t grass off camber right hander. Short flat road, short uphill, short road, 180 downhill corner, short road, left hander. Then more bumpy as…well, you know, grass. That was linked with another grass area, just as bumpy. Another section of road took us to the steep ride/run up. Short road, 3 tier ride up, short downhill steep climb, short down, steep climb, short down, steep climb. Tired yet? The last part of the course was a fast-ish uphill to sweeping left that led into the barriers and the finish line. Same lead in to the barriers, but his time only 2 of them. Ugh. It was a hard, very mtb-y course. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I felt good…so I thought.
photo from oregon velo
I had one of my best starts ever. At the top of the hill I tucked into about 6/7 spot and started the main loop. I felt great! I had a sweet position and I didn’t feel like I was trying to hard to maintain that spot. Throughout the first few laps I worked my way past a few people and upon looking back noticed that there was a sizable gap to the rest of the field. I was stoked. That was about the highlight of my day.
lap 1: photo from oregon velo
From there…well…it just went downhill. Even though it didn’t feel like the course did! (get it?). My font shifting wasn’t working too great, and I think I used that as a focus for my negative energy. From there I just didn’t feel like anything was going the way I wanted it to, and in truth, the shifting wasn’t even important due to the nature of the course. I gave it hard for about another lap, hoping that I would break out of the funk that had taken over during the week. No luck. I was done. My legs felt great, but my lungs were burning. I couldn’t find the balance. I’d back off a bit hoping my breathing would calm down, but nothing. Then I’d give it more to see if I could race through it, but nothing. Eventually I pulled off to the side. A mini mental break down that I’m not proud of. It’s not like I threw a fit on the side of the trail, but I felt like I gave up and I was still in a good spot. After a bit, Ben Thompson came by, so I jumped in behind him and rode around until I stopped again…then I waited for James and did the same. I was still hoping that I would start riding fast and I could make some sort of race out of it. No go. To add insult to injury, Brad and the crusade crew were out heckling in full force. My heckles? Well, it had something to do with earning the call up that I received that day…I’m not thinking that I’ll get one next week.
I was already feeling like this
I didn’t drop out. That’s good, but I did only complete 8 laps. The leaders did 11. As soon as my wheels crossed the finish line, I turned right and went straight down the hill to the car. I didn’t want to see anyone or answer any, “what happened,” questions. I’m sure most of us have been there before after a race. Maybe I’m putting too much pressure on myself this year. Maybe the last two weekends were flukes. Maybe I’d taken myself out of it by thinking I should have gone to the Ohio UCI races chasing points. Adam and Molly both scored some points out there on courses that looked more my style. Who knows? All I do know is this funk is taking over and it’s early in the season. I gotta kick it! Maybe my new Marcroft will take me to a good result next weekend, on what I hear from Brad is a world cup caliber course. I’m already feeling better as I finish this sentence and think of next weekend. I love cross. Props to Mark B and Carson Miller. Those guys were killing it on what was a super hard course. See ya’ll at the race!
d
pic from Greg R.
From what I remembered of last years course, it was a hilly, technical, mountain-bikeish course. Wooded trail, hills and not much rest. Oh yeah, and the six pack barrier, with a rather fast and dangerous gravel downhill lead in, that Chris B. stacked it on. Upon arrival to the area, after a forest road detour/long way around thanks to the TomTom gps, I heard that the course was different. The only problem I heard…it was even harder with no spots to rest and kidney jarring grass fields. “It feels like it’s all up hill,” is how Jon Hansen described it. Sweet (sarcasm)! Normally, I would thrive on a hard, hilly course…at least that’s what I like to think. Today it wasn’t meant to be that way. A few warm up laps, a ride on the trainer and some conversation later, I headed down to the bottom of the bowl to line up. I was almost too busy chatting and watching the women finish to notice that all the boys had lined up already! Oops. Fortunately Brad Ross gave me a second row call up this week. Thanks Brad!
From the start line the course went something like this: Short up hill out of the bowl (only used for the start), into the woods for a quick singe track descent into a bumpy as s*@t grass off camber right hander. Short flat road, short uphill, short road, 180 downhill corner, short road, left hander. Then more bumpy as…well, you know, grass. That was linked with another grass area, just as bumpy. Another section of road took us to the steep ride/run up. Short road, 3 tier ride up, short downhill steep climb, short down, steep climb, short down, steep climb. Tired yet? The last part of the course was a fast-ish uphill to sweeping left that led into the barriers and the finish line. Same lead in to the barriers, but his time only 2 of them. Ugh. It was a hard, very mtb-y course. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I felt good…so I thought.
photo from oregon velo
I had one of my best starts ever. At the top of the hill I tucked into about 6/7 spot and started the main loop. I felt great! I had a sweet position and I didn’t feel like I was trying to hard to maintain that spot. Throughout the first few laps I worked my way past a few people and upon looking back noticed that there was a sizable gap to the rest of the field. I was stoked. That was about the highlight of my day.
lap 1: photo from oregon velo
From there…well…it just went downhill. Even though it didn’t feel like the course did! (get it?). My font shifting wasn’t working too great, and I think I used that as a focus for my negative energy. From there I just didn’t feel like anything was going the way I wanted it to, and in truth, the shifting wasn’t even important due to the nature of the course. I gave it hard for about another lap, hoping that I would break out of the funk that had taken over during the week. No luck. I was done. My legs felt great, but my lungs were burning. I couldn’t find the balance. I’d back off a bit hoping my breathing would calm down, but nothing. Then I’d give it more to see if I could race through it, but nothing. Eventually I pulled off to the side. A mini mental break down that I’m not proud of. It’s not like I threw a fit on the side of the trail, but I felt like I gave up and I was still in a good spot. After a bit, Ben Thompson came by, so I jumped in behind him and rode around until I stopped again…then I waited for James and did the same. I was still hoping that I would start riding fast and I could make some sort of race out of it. No go. To add insult to injury, Brad and the crusade crew were out heckling in full force. My heckles? Well, it had something to do with earning the call up that I received that day…I’m not thinking that I’ll get one next week.
I was already feeling like thisI didn’t drop out. That’s good, but I did only complete 8 laps. The leaders did 11. As soon as my wheels crossed the finish line, I turned right and went straight down the hill to the car. I didn’t want to see anyone or answer any, “what happened,” questions. I’m sure most of us have been there before after a race. Maybe I’m putting too much pressure on myself this year. Maybe the last two weekends were flukes. Maybe I’d taken myself out of it by thinking I should have gone to the Ohio UCI races chasing points. Adam and Molly both scored some points out there on courses that looked more my style. Who knows? All I do know is this funk is taking over and it’s early in the season. I gotta kick it! Maybe my new Marcroft will take me to a good result next weekend, on what I hear from Brad is a world cup caliber course. I’m already feeling better as I finish this sentence and think of next weekend. I love cross. Props to Mark B and Carson Miller. Those guys were killing it on what was a super hard course. See ya’ll at the race!
d
pic from Greg R.
