St. Mary's CX, Indy

This was the third year for the St. Mary's Children's Hospital CX race in Indy. It was the first year the weather wasn't atrocious. The first year there was about 18" of snow. Last year there was inches of rain (it poured all day). This year was damn-near perfect.

I went up Saturday to help set up the course. Once done we got to pre-ride it some and I deemed the course very, very hard. The course "raced" easier than it "rode." That may be hard to understand, but at speed and with race adrenaline, etc, the course seemed easier. Plus the grass was beaten down from hundreds of people being on it before my race; that didn't hurt either.

I didn't feel like this course played to may strengths overall. It wasn't very technical, and the climbing was short and hard. The start was long and paved. I slotted in okay and tried to stay up in the lead group (which was big). I found myself gapped off the main group, but others were getting popped off as well so there was pretty much always a small group to race with. 

I felt pretty good and rode a pretty solid race. I tried to stay smart and not ride too far outside of myself and hoped that consistency would pay off over the eagerness to catch/get around people. 

I finished 15th, which isn't bad, but I was just off a group of 4-6 guys the whole day. I can't help but think that I could have done better.
You can notice in the pic of the finish I am on my orange bike. With a couple laps to go the shifting went to crap on my black bike and I had to switch. Sometimes that sort of thing can be dealt with, but with the hill on this course I couldn't have my bike shifting for me. Luckily I have tons of friends at these races and get a pit-crew whipped up by yelling that I need my other bike. My team-mate and good friend Josh has his hand in a cast, so he wasn't racing. His girlfriend Sarah has a minor concussion so she wasn't either. I yelled to Josh that I needed to pit and when I came around he and Sarah were there ready to catch my A bike and hand off my B bike. The exchange went super smooth, I lost no time and I was able to ride with confident shifting (though the brakes suck ass on my B bike, but at least I know and expect that).     

I entered the race as a 35+ Master's Elite (CX racing age is based on the next calendar year, which makes me 35). It's the same race, for the same money, but I can get on a podium for the same result! Pretty cool.  
This weekend is a far away-ish Ohio race. I like to minimize the 3+hr car trips, but I also hate to give up my points. I'm undecided as to whether or not I am going to go...I probably will though. Between racing, work and Bloomington's Hilly 100 bicycle tour (at which I work) October is always the busiest month of my year. Today's Oct. 1; BRING IT.