Sea Otter Pro Short Track and XC

[Jim Hewett]

Though I am in the early phases of my training for the season, I made the trip down to Sea Otter to take my licks racing in the pro short track and xc races.

The weather was not brutally hot, just hot.  The field would be considered quite strong to very strong;  over 100 racers, including some top international contenders and all of the top North Americans.  Cathy Chevron and my son Simon came down with me and provided support.

Friday's short track race was a bit frustrating, as usual.  About 80 racers lined up for the course that wove through the venue, only climbing a few 20 foot high hills.  We were to race 20 minutes plus 3 laps, but they would be pulling anyone in danger of being lapped.  I started in the back of the pack, and barely moved up a little from there by the first bottleneck.  Once everyone was through and back on the bike, it was just sprint for the next corner and try not to get stopped up by other racers.  I was pulled about half way through the race, but I did get my heart rate up and open up the legs for Saturday's main event XC race.

After the race, I pre-rode the XC course.  It was not so bad, though very contrived.  We would start with a long climb up the pavement, and then traverse up and down and around the hillside near the dual slalom course.  They included an obligatory technical challenge with a short rock garden section constructed just for the race.  It was wide and had a few fast lines, but, unfortunately, there was an off-camber, loose right turn/climb just after.  Most of the course looked like they had just mowed it and marked it the week before.

Saturday was a little warmer, but I was looking forward to racing a course with more variety.  We were doing 8 laps of less than 3 miles each, so the real question for the back of the field was how long you could last before the 20% rule would be enforced.  Officials monitor each racer's time and will pull anyone that falls more than 20% behind the lead racer.

No call up for me, so I ended up awaiting the start in the back of the field of 115 or so.  They announced that the oldest rider was 46 years old, which will be me next year.  Also of note, there were 42 racers in the U23 age category.  I saw teammate Stephen Flynn, Joe Williams, and other local guys.  There were quite a few Bear Development youngsters there:  Carson Benjamin, Stephen Sorenson, Bryce Lewis, and Eli Kranefuss.

When we got underway, I moved up a few positions but was in the back 20 as it clogged up on a sandy climb that diverted us from the paved climb for a bit.  At the top, we funneled into a pinch point and had to wait our turn for the singletrack.  Once moving again, I moved up a place or two.  We wove our way around to the rock garden, where everyone ahead of me seemed to want to talk the same line.  I went left around about 10 guys via a slightly rougher line.  The off camber turns were slow in the traffic, and I gained and lost some positions on my way back to the paved track for lap 2.

I started the paved climb for lap 2 and could feel I was lacking the snap I needed to move up.  As I am 2/3rds of the way through my endurance base training, the power fitness is not there yet.  I maybe gained a couple positions, but lost more than that over the next few laps, mainly in this section of climbing.  Things eventually spread out, and I was able to stretch my legs on the descents and get some flow going just before I came around to finish my fifth lap and was directed off of the course.

I had raced for an hour.  Though my lap times were getting slightly longer each time around, I feel I could have maintained a similar pace for 3 more laps, surely moving up a few positions.  As it stood, I finished 83rd out of 115 or so, not happy with the result but content that my training plan for the year is progressing as it should.

[Cathy]

Great shot!