Northern California Bicycle Racing Community

Carl Sanders's Blog – August 2011 Archive (4)

NoSoMas 2011

Given that I hadn't gotten enough sleep, my mind felt a bit burned out from a long racing season, I had arrived late for registration and was standing at start in the damp fog without a warm-up, I had my doubts about a stellar finish.

Never great at fast starts,I had trouble kicking into gear as the group climbed up the dam, over the lake and onto the first single track. The heart and legs were just not ready to rock. On to the dirt, I was somewhere in the top twenty. I gained a…

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Added by Carl Sanders on August 29, 2011 at 9:27pm — No Comments

Tahoe Sierra <100

That one cost me.

I cracked. Found my edge. Left more than I cared to by the side of the trail.

Despite taking a wrong turn in the first 10 miles that cost me 15 minutes, back-tracking up to the course, I was holding on to 7th position past the Mad Cat Aid Station at mile 64. I was confident that I could catch a few more riders for a top five finish.

Then my gut began to rumble on the first single track section of the Western States Trail that we would now follow for…

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Added by Carl Sanders on August 17, 2011 at 9:05pm — 1 Comment

Howell Mountain Challenge 2011

Out to sharpen the edge, prime the engine for next week's Tahoe Sierra 100.

Thought I would try something a little different; I'd go out hard and fast on the assumption that so much of the finish is determined by start order out of the gate at these 'short' XC races. All Cat I 19 -34 (group #3) and 35- 44 (group #4) racers would go off in the second wave, two minutes behind the Pros.

The intense interval work on the steepest part of Oak Manor Drive paid off.…

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Added by Carl Sanders on August 8, 2011 at 9:03pm — No Comments