(Photograph by Andrea Tucker. View more BRX photos by Andrea here.)
>>>My complete race report at GTMTBA!
The days leading up to Barry-Roubaix were rather stressful. I was a ball of anxiety. Last winter I went to Danielle Musto's indoor spin at the Ada Bike Shop and stayed connected with a lot of my mountain biking friends and even made some new ones. This year, however, I was a bit of a hermit. Not being around that energetic group, I became a little lazy. Bike racing faded into the background and playing with the kids and lazing around floated to the forefront. It was a good winter.
And then March arrived. Bringing with it the Barry-Roubaix: The Killer Gravel Road Race. Killer it was sure to be. In fact, I mentally prepared myself for a large portion of suffering with some humility on the side.
We've had an unusual March, with temps in the 80 degrees. Friday before the race, Middleville was pounded with rain and the temps cooled to around 60 degrees, which I think is perfect racing weather.
I had two goals in mind:
1) Ride my own race: In the past I've gotten caught up in trying to keep up with a group I had no business racing against or I've allowed others to get in my head. This usually results in a bad bonk with 8 miles to go. I did not want to bonk! There is nothing worse than having to coast slowly across the finish line because your legs have long since turned to lead.
2) Average 14.5 mph. This was a number I came up with based on results from previous races. However, my horrible awful pre-ride a few weeks earlier killed my confidence. I didn't want to admit it, but I struggled to average 11 mph that day--and that was with lots of breaks!
The race started in waves, I stayed towards the mid-to back of my group for the start. The first few miles are on pavement. I went hard . . . but reigned it in a notch. Bonking at Iceman last year was still fresh in my memory.
I was hoping to get in with a good group of cyclists to work with for the race, but I didn't have luck on that front. As a result I either rode alone or with one or two other guys.
My average was looking good at this point and I made a new goal, to finish under 2:20.
The last two-track on Shaw Road was a mess. The sand was heavy and deep. There was wall of hike-a-bikers and I too was forced to walk that section. At the top of the hill I was able to hop back on my bike for the wicked descent through sandpits and giant mud puddles. It was AWESOME!
That brought us out to the last 5 miles of rolling pavement. I knew this section would favor the cyclocross riders and my fear was that I would have dead legs and get left in the dust for a lonely and humiliating ride into the finish. To my surprise I found I still had some gas in the engine and my legs were ready for the final haul in!
The last five miles I continued to accelerate.
I have to say, the day was a huge success.
I finished with a time of 2:19 which was good for 15th place. And was an average of 15.5 mph! Woot!
And I want to make a shout-out to my friend Michelle who did the race on a 26" single speed! She is one of the toughest women I know. Congrats Michelle on your race! :-)
Happy face after a satisfying day at BRX!
That looks like blood on my bottom bracket. They don't call it the Killer for no nuthin . . .
Muddy legs.
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