Campton was a data free day... but it wasn't planned that way.
Forgot to pack the GoPro so there is no video.
And during pre-ride I attempted to jump the barriers. When I didn't quite make the second barrier my Garmin mount snapped as I didn't land rubber side down. The new kit doesn't have a zip pocket so I didn't want to risk the Garmin popping out of a back pocket.
(My Garmin mount finds the misspelling ironic)
I was actually proud that I tried to hop the barriers. Too many times I have chickened out even in practice. These were probably 2x6 boards so not too tall. My ego wants to think they were 2x8's but I'm trying to be honest with myself. I made the first jump fine and the front wheel made the second jump but the back wheel didn't and down I went. But, it was pre-ride and since the bike was fine all was good. I'm used to running the barriers.
(Chris on the left, then Steve, Jason, and Mark)
Campton is the annual Halloween race and while I didn't dress up others do. The guy with the full pumpkin head worried me a bit because there was no way he could see anything.
I did the 55+ race and the single speed race. George did just the 55+ race as he wasn't feeling tip top and Tommy Will came out for the 45+ race. Bob was in Michigan for Ice Man. Mark Misicko raced with me and Chris Fabri did the 45+.
TLDR: 55+: 12/33, SS: 22/39
Tire Pressure: 22/25
The really good news was that it didn't rain. At least not for our early races. All week we were planning for it and thankfully we avoided it. It was a bit windy which we could deal with but add rain to that and.... I don't like to think about it.
In the 55+ I started 2nd row again and again didn't get a good start. I tried to clip into the pedal but didn't get in right away. That said I wasn't in bad position it just wasn't good. The course was reversed this year and we entered the woods right away which is concerning because the last time I did this direction the group was much larger and I was literally standing in a group waiting to get into the single track. Being a smaller group and being near the front it didn't get congested and I made it into the woods ok. There is a slight rise throughout the section and there are railroad ties every so often to help with erosion. The first handful you need to pull up the front wheel and also the back wheel to get over. The last handful it is just the front wheel and the back wheel can roll over them. But, either section slows you down a bit and takes effort. There is always mud in the middle of the woods but it was pretty good this year and not a game changer.
On the first lap I found myself behind Chris Brown. That's a good place to be as he regularly gets top tens even though he is 65+. But he was leaving a gap in front of him and I didn't want to get too far behind the others. So I passed him and actually put 4 seconds into him after 1 lap. I was excited. I still didn't think I was placed very well so kept pushing.
The grip on the course was really good even in the up/down section by the baseball field. There was a left hand turn transition from grass to gravel that gave me trouble in the single speed race but I'll get to that. In this race it was tricky but didn't effect anything.
There were 2 sets of barriers on course. The first were just 2x4's (best guess) and I had no trouble hopping those. Right after those there is a hill and then a slow drag which took it out of you. That all leads into a second woods section which is short but has a couple whoops and a bunch of roots (which they spray painted for safety I assume - although it gave it a cool Halloween glow). Right after that section came the 2nd set of barriers and then a slight downhill gravel path to the finish line.
I was strong on the first 2 laps and now I was now 6 seconds ahead of Chris. I didn't know it but I was in 8th or 9th place now. Halfway thru the 3rd lap I made it thru the up/down section I dread in 8th and about to turn onto a power straight leading to the first set of barriers. In my head I said to myself (I actually thought this) it was time to put down some power. I wasn't quite off the mild off camber yet and my rear wheel slipped out and I went down. 2 people passed me but I was able to get up fairly quickly.
The timing on my laps 3 and 4 went back to my normal this week where I have a lull. I still was in the pack of 5 but chasing and losing places. I took back places on the straights where I can power past. One in particular I passed Chris but then made the mistake of going wide into a 180 turn and Chris got me right back and passed underneath me.
(Photo credits: Mary Lillie Imaging)
Most people were running the 2nd barriers but one who wasn't was Rob Capps. He was jumping and I knew that was a problem for me. Even Steve Feehrey, while running, was much quicker than me.
Going into the last lap the 5 of us were spread out by only 10 seconds. Me being the 4th in the group. Places were being exchanged and lap times were dropping quickly. I jumped the short barriers and then got out of the saddle on the uphill and sprinted. I had Rob behind me with a gap but wasn't able to catch the other guys.
I'm not sure if it was before the race or during but the thought crossed my brain that if the end was tight maybe I'd try and hop the barriers crash be damned to save time. But now that I had put in my effort I had enough room so Rob couldn't pass me at the barriers... or so I thought. I ran, I jumped, I remounted, and he passed me like I was standing still. Ugh!
Like I said at the beginning I didn't think I was placed very well so after getting bested by all 4 in my group I was a little unhappy. But, finishing 12th, my best result of the season, I have to be excited. It was a heckuva battle and I'm getting better (maybe?!).
Lap times
7:16 (usually the first lap is longer but because of the staging/course design it was a bit shorter)
7:35
7:47 (crash lap)
7:42 (Tired lap)
7:33 (Last lap should always be your fastest)
Single Speed
I sat in the car for the hour in between races trying to get warm. Getting out of the car was not fun but at least the temps had risen from 50 to 57 for the second race. As you heat up quickly in cross I went without arm or legwarmers for both races. I missed my 3rd row callup trying to ride around the park and get warm and ended up in the 4th row.
I had a better start here but because of the hills I picked the 19 cog in back so didn't have any real punch on the flats. There were 39 in this race so I needed to pick off people as best I could. My times were a bit slower than the first race but my times were more consistent. There were also more people who weren't jumping the first barriers and I was able to gain time there. I was geared perfectly for the uphills and that's where I tried to make up time (Pause for laughter).
My one issue was that transition from grass to gravel where I over cooked the turn a bit and ended up in the tape. A combination of loose gravel and fuzzy brain. I had to stop and pull the bike out of the tape and was passed by 1 or 2 people. By the end of the race I had passed them back and kept even power throughout the race. The other SS race I finished 25th/39 so 22nd/39 was an improvement. While doing well is always a goal the SS race is more about just getting race time on course to help dial in the skills.
Lap Times
7:48 (More traffic from more riders ahead of me made this a slower lap)
7:41
7:58 (hoping this is the tape lap)
7:45
7:51
Next weekend is a double race weekend. Both in Woodstock for Groundhog Cross.
