2014 Lemurian Shasta Classic

[Jim Hewett]

I made the trip up to Redding for the Lemurian last weekend.  Though this race usually falls just after my first training peak of the mountain bike season, this year I really have not even begun to train yet.  Despite my lack of preparation, I knew the race would be fun - so much climbing and descending on a long single-loop course, with cool temps and moist dirt.  Most of the NorCal hardmen show up for this one, and it would be hard to keep me away.

I built my new full suspension bike the week before, a Trek Fuel EX 9.9 29er.  After making many modifications from stock, I was satisfied that a sub-23 lb 120mm travel bike with a dropper post would be fun for this race.  I have only ever raced a hardtail here - in fact, Downieville is the only place I have ever raced a full suspension - but this bike climbs better than my Tallboy did and it had "new bike appeal".  I set it up with a 1x11 drivetrain with a 32t front ring, carbon wheels with Schwalbe Rocket Ron tires, and a Kind Shok Lev height adjustable seatpost.  At least it would be more fun on the descents, if I didn't flat the lightweight tires at 26psi rear and 25psi front.

I had raced this course many times with my best finish being 2nd place in 2012.  I knew the pacing would be key for me, especially with my diminished fitness.  There would be lots of climbing with much of it coming after the halfway point.  The week before was not great for training or rest, so I figured I would be conservative at the start and hope for a steady effort.

It was cold in the morning, but the temperature rose as the sun broke through the clouds.

I saw some good competition at the start line:  Tim Olson, Aren Timmel, and Billy Damon have done very well at this race in the past.  Ryan Chandler and Clint Claassen would be easy-to-spot contenders in their new neon yellow kits.  I did a half-hearted warmup and settled into the second row for the mass start.

We all surged forward as the gun went off. Up and over some paved hills and then a right turn onto a slowly climbing, washboardy gravel road.  No one usually rides away here, but the screws are turned slightly and a lead group forms.  I settled into the top 8 or so.  Olson, Damon, Chandler, and Claassen were there, with an unfamiliar Audi Cycling guy, Chris McGovern (also unfamiliar to me, but he had his name on his toptube), Danny Macnaughton, and Rainier Schaefer.  We motored along at a pace that seemed slower than some years past.  At least my heartrate was lower than I had seen it in this section before.

The real racing began almost 9 minutes in when we started climbing the steep and loose fireroad.  To my dismay, I have never been in the top few at the top of this 13 minute climb.  I watched as 5 guys pulled away, which found me climbing with Rainier and Macnaughton.  Even pushing moderately, I should have been seeing heartrate readings over 170bpm on this steep climbing.  To my surprise, I wasn't able to get over 165bpm, which is just below my anaerobic threshold.  I tried to tell myself that I was doing a good job of pacing my effort, but, in fact, I don't think I could have gone any faster.  Rainier, Macnaughton and another rider pulled away from me towards the top.

After reaching the top, we recovered and sped down the loose fireroad.  I overtook McGovern and caught the other three that had passed me just as they reached the paved road.  We took turns pulling accross the dam and coasted down the pavement to the first singletrack.  Here I was able to use some skill and familiarity with the course to my advantage, pulling ahead of Rainier and Macnaughton and the other racer.  I came across Claassen, who seemed confused by the course markings, and he and I were soon joined again by Rainier.  After more rolling fireroad, I anticipated a familiar and fast rough singletrack section, moving to the front and putting some time into them.  They were still in sight behind me when we began a short but loose and steep section that I have had to walk in the past.  I focused on staying on the bike and was encouraged when I heard them dismount behind me.  This allowed me to increase the gap and I rode the flume sections by myself, lowering the seat to ride the bermed corners and raising it to pedal hard in the straight sections. 

I rode by myself for awhile, still not able to go as hard as I would have liked and still not able to get my heartrate above threshold.  I was a bit surprised to see Claassen as I began more fireroad climbing, only to pull away from him.  He caught me again as we began the last long section of climbing and passed me.  I stayed close, never letting him get more than 10 seconds ahead.  We came to the pine nettle covered and loose steep section and rode the first bit.  He got off to walk just as I did, and we both remounted as the angle decreased.  He bobbled a little and I was able to get by him, but he dug deep to regain the lead and we climbed through the woods, passing lapped traffic from the shorter courses.

I knew there was a short but very steep section coming, the kind of thing that can cause a leg cramp or at least a dismount.  I steeled myself to ride it and was able to get around Claassen, who had gotten off to walk.  I pushed my time advantage on the ensuing descents, using the full suspension and dropper post as much as I could to go fast on the rutted, technical descents.  I hoped to see one of the four riders ahead of me on the last fireroad climb, but it did not happen.  I pressed on and finished the race alone in fifth place.

I was minutes slower than my fastest time on this course and my maximum heartrate was about what I would have expected to  be my average for the race.  Time to get the training in gear and start preparing for some mid-season racing!