Racing to Train and Training to Race Plymouth South Cyclocross Plymouth, MA November 11, 2007
Thighan Ramsey
Big Al and I traveled down to the Sunday edition of the Plymouth cyclocross race on November 11. After 2 gut busting workouts on Tuesday and Thursday we decided to use the race as the 3rd hard effort for the week. We arrived 20 minutes before the start of the first race and had a chance to do some laps to check out the course. Matt Hersey showed up unannounced and we had a small crew. The temperatures were colder than we were used to, but the sun was strong, a perfect weather for cross racing in November.
Art break
The course spanned a large school campus, with lots of fast turns, some very technical sections, a long, hard pack, rooty dirt hill to ride up, and 2 sand pits with barriers in between. The sand and barrier did not make much sense since they were poorly executed allowing for little flow and no real way to enjoy a fun part of cross racing. I raced the 3/4 race, which had a decent field, participation in the 30’s. Lining up at the back was not that scary since I am used to starting like 5th row in a field of 100+ at the Verge races. It took about a ½ lap to catch on the wheels of the 2 leaders, not by way of hard work, but purely being smoother through corners and up this short punchy loose climb on which people were eating wood chips. On the 2nd lap I ended up way off the front after the 2 other guys stacked each other up in the sand pit. I took advantage of this by hitting the gas for the next 2 or 3 laps, by that time I was clear by 30 seconds or so. I ended up winning the race, when really all I should have won was the first lap, since that was who they gave the only prize to.
Big Al swore that he saw Mark McCormack 10 minutes before his race, in street clothes. Chatting it up with someone inside the school. But amazingly he changed, warmed up, and was on the start line for the Masters race with Al. Or maybe his street clothes are his bike clothes, and he doesn’t need a warm up to drop everyone’s asses. Mark started at the back and was moving past everyone like a ballet dancer. Moving past everyone, his upper body motionless and his legs not seeming to be pedaling at all, as if driven by a motor. Anyway, after the shakedown Al was dueling for 3rd behind Hines and Big Mac…
We pay for this?
With 2 laps to go Al had latched on to 3rd place and was gathering his arsenal to unleash a whopper. Charging hard through some technical sections, hammering the long climb in the woods it came down the last 200 yards with the sandpits and barriers. He used his skills, slowed up through the corners leading up to it to control the pace, and then hit it at the exact moment when the other guy may stumble in the deep sand. It worked, Al came out of the sand with at least 3 bike lengths, charging into the last corner, it was looking good, until he charged right into a lapped rider’s wheel and had to back off, only to allow the other guy to catch up. This forced a pavement sprint through the finish, which if you see the video was very close. Only Al could not hold on and ended up 4th.
We left with a really cool medal (kind of) and some cash… but more importantly some confidence and some really good training. The ride home was full of Al napping and Ryan driving all the way home… and some fun talk about sports, bike stuff… you know… Man stuff. Next up is the Lowell Cross race on November 17th and then the big VERGE smack down after turkey day. Go Go Go…
; "Thighan Ramsey")
; "Art break")
; "We pay for this?")
