The Call Up

Northern California Bicycle Racing Community

Time for some short XC intensity!

Three 8 mile laps, each with 1,200' of climbing. Off in waves, Pros and Experts start up front. 

The foothill course conditions were choice; green grass, blue skies and tacky soil from recent light rains. No mud. A few hundred riders of all ages and categories eventually mob the flowing single track loop through oaks, rocks and creek crossings.

I choose not to blow myself up out the gate, but to find that grove right near or at my threshold that I could sustain and maybe even enjoy the game on known turf. This was a 'B' race in my training regime, targeted toward benefiting my later CA Triple Crown Stage Race bid; three hard-core double centuries, all local this year: Devil Mountain Double, Terrible Two and finally the Mt. Tam Double. My goal for 2015 is another podium for this prestigious endurance event.

This must have been at least my forth go round at Cool. Past years, have had rain and deep, gooey mud that have made the defining memories. Now in the State's forth drought year, the area around Cool seemed surprisingly dry for mid-March. A few years back, I also raced  a similar course in Fall at Knickerbocker, an 8 hour event that made for a long dry, dusty and hot day.

Even without having ridden the area for a couple of years, all the roads, ruts, rocks and roots were much the same as I had remembered, having had each feature hammered into my rattled brain.

I enjoy these long lapped races. The repetition and pattern of the course. Each succeeding lap, an opportunity to perfect that descent, pick the fastest line, rail that corner. A dizzying rhythm, unique to each course. Consistency counts for all. Deeply immersed, intensely focused, I breath, pedal and attempt to find that euphoric flow.

Problem was, this was only three laps over 25 or so miles. Just as I was building a full head of steam into the third lap, I rolled across the finish at 1:55, my fastest time yet, in second place once again. Almost felt I could have just kept going for another few laps...

I suppose that I could have pushed harder, emptied the tank, but I was actually just having fun, finding my place on familiar ground. For an early season test piece, I was satisfied with my consistent performance en route to bigger, longer days ahead.

 

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Comment by Paul Montgomery on April 23, 2015 at 11:06pm

Carl... Bad Ass! "just getting going" RAAM is next.

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