Hodges Dam - Hot Damn

August 5th's race in Oxford, MA brought drier weather than last year's monsoon and flooded trails, but this time, it was the heat that was brutal.  The temps were in the 90s and humid.

John Y ditching the camelbak for a bottle

This race had a great showing of DAS racers; Dan, Liz A, John H, and John Y all raced.  Liz's daughter, Skyler came out to race the first timer's race, and Liz B (and boys) and Tracy were there to cheer everyone on.  The race course was only about 30 minutes or so from DAS headquarters in Danielson, CT.

Skyler raced at 9:30 and it was a long challenging course for her at 6 miles.  She was still on the course when the Cat 1 / Pro racers started to come through.  She pulled off to the side and cheered people on, including her Mom and buddy Dan.  Luckily, she had a very patient helper along with her the entire way around.  She managed to finish after a long time out there, and hasn't completely sworn off riding her bike.

Dan and Liz went off at 11:30, and the heat was Sauna worthy - even with the wind gusts that were fortunate enough to blast through the area.  Dan finished in 6th and Liz in 3rd, and both did 4 laps on the 6 mile course.

John and John set out at 2pm for their 3 laps.  John H finished in 5th for Cat 2 19-29 and John Y in 12th for 30-39.  In the final lap of their race, a thunder storm moved in.  This made the course more of a challenge, but it sure felt good after the heat all day.

The next race in the series is at Millstone Quarry (the very same venue of Dan's 12 hour race).  With it being a 4+ hour drive, there probably won't be many DAS racers in attendance.  However, the NH 100 is also coming up, and Dan and Liz A will be representing in the 100 mile category.  Meanwhile, Matt will be racing solo singlespeed next weekend at 24 Hours of Great Glenn...  if you happen to be there, cheer that guy on!!

12 Hours of Millstone... in the rain.

While Liz and John raced "local" in CT, Dan went up to Millstone Quarry to race in a two man team for 12 hours.  As luck would have it, it rained there as well.  He joined forces with Bikeman racer (and DAS friend) Kevin Ryan.  They guys managed to hold steady in second for the entire day and finished with a total of 14 laps.

Yeah its cool. My oldest son said “so you rode for 12 hours just for that?” I said “yup”

Playing in the rain at Winsted Woods

On July 29th, Liz A and John Y headed out to Winsted, CT with a forecast for showers looming on the horizon.  Liz's race was at 11:30, and the course was touted as being in great shape despite the fact that Winsted had gotten the unofficial award the day before for getting the most rain in the entire state.  While it didn't look good, the course was in really great shape.  Throughout the Cat 1/Pro race, the rain started to come down.  This didn't bode well for their final laps, nor did it make for a very easy course for the Cat 2 racers like John.

Liz's race took off fast as usual with her lined up against Crystal Anthony (MA) and Jane Pearson (NY/CT).  The girls went back and forth in position over the course of the very technical first mile or so.  Eventually, Crystal and Jane got ahead of Liz on the first lap.
I had my usual crummy first lap.  My legs were taking awhile to wake up, but anytime there was anything technical, I was hammering past everyone.  The course suited me well.  After letting the girls get ahead on the first lap, I started reeling them back in on the second lap.  I saw Jane up ahead and told her we needed to try to catch up to Crystal.  Eventually, I made a pass on a technical climb and took off.  Jane told me that Crystal wasn't far ahead.  I basically went as hard as I could, while feeling surprisingly well, for the last two laps.  I think if I'd had the 5th lap, I might have caught up.  I finished less than a minute behind her, and that's the closest I've come all season.  My tech skills finally got to prove their worth.  

John's race turned into a muddy mess.  The rain that started during the Cat 1 race left the course sloppy with little traction on the climbs. Despite the challenge, John finished strong in 8th place for the Cat 2 40-49.  He's been making improvements all season and is really starting to enjoy mountain bike racing.

DAS races at the Wrath of the Boneyard

The MTB season is coming to an end quickly, and cyclocross is lurking on the edge of everyone's mind - everyone that gives a crap about bike racing anyhow.  In the meantime, there are still a few races left on the Root 66 Race Series and a few on the EFTA series.  

The Wrath of the Boneyard was July 28th, and it seemed to have a small turnout this year.  The temperatures weren't quite as bad as the year before, but the course has had the reputation for being a little rough.  It's likely that people just didn't want to deal with the threat of flat tires and taco-ed wheels.  DAS only had 2 representatives at this one - Dan and Liz A.  

Dan raced in men's Cat 1 30-39 and finished with a podium in 3rd.  Here's his take:
Slow and steady wins the ra.. well comes in 3rd. Wrath of the boneyard is known to be ridiculously rocky and it fulfilled its promise. I saw more flat tires than I ever saw, more DNFs than any race. For the last 3 weeks I have been heavily traveling for work, only riding my bike on race day so I really did not have any expectations. I meant to take off slow out of the gate but sprinted with the front of the pack and stayed in 2nd for most of the first lap. Then the lack of training and riding hit me and I rolled it back to last place. As the TV theme songs cranked up in my head I got into a good groove and kept plugging away, everyone in a while showing signs of speed and skill. In the end I finished 3rd out of 7 moving up to 3rd overall in the points series, super awesome! Millstone Grind 12 hour, Winsted woods then N100 here we come!

Liz finished in 1st for Pro/Open, but did not have any competitors in her category.  Essentially, her competition was the rest of the Cat 1 women.  She found herself battling it out with Susan Lynch for most of the race, and Susan had more power on the climbs.  Liz finished a little over a minute behind Sue, but both women finished at least 18 minutes ahead of the rest of the pack.  

Windham, Arcadia, and Keene: Racing the World, Time Trialing, and Biking for some Bovine

It's been a few weeks, and if you feel the need, your complaints may be filed with that slacker of a blog handler Liz A.  She's been too busy riding her bike to get this stuff together.  Enough is enough... here's what team DAS has been up to:

Race the World, another race in the Root 66 Series, took place on Sunday July 1st following a weekend of World Cup racing that had DAS racers walking up and down the side of Windham mountain all weekend watching some of the biggest talent in the world.  In addition to the World Cup Cross-Country event, the Down Hill races were also happening, and the town had what seemed like endless festivities planned for racers and non-racers alike.  The weekend was a blast.  DAS was represented by Tracy, Liz A, and John Y. 

Tracy finished in 8th and only about a minute behind 6th and 7th.  It’s her first year racing mountain bikes, and she’s hanging with the fast kids in Cat 1.  Here’s what she had to say: 

“Really liked the course it had lots of bridges and cool single track sections. I felt like the course was just technical enough to be challenging yet doable. Well most of it anyway, there was a few sections that I wasn’t comfortable doing, but overall it was a great course. I do wish the laps were a bit longer to hold off being lapped so soon by the Pro and Cat 1 men. I tended to stop or slow down to let them by if I was going into a tech section. I also felt that I was constantly looking over my shoulder to see if anyone was coming. I think this took some time off my laps, but what can you do, but learn from it. Had a great race anyway, I felt good, pushed when I could, scared myself a little with some of the descents and tech sections good fun. I was able to keep rubber side down so it was a good day.”

Liz A finished 3rd in the pro/open category.  Coming off a 12-hour race the weekend before, she was still catching up on rest going into the race.  The details can be found on her blog, so check it out when you are done here...

Liz's blog

John Y came into Windham ready to ride hard.  The men’s Cat 2 40-49 was stacked with 37 racers, all of whom appear to have finished the race.  John finished strong despite an emergency pit stop.  Here’s his “quickie” report:

“I think the concept of this race is very fun-getting to race on the exact course that some of the best XC racers in the world race on. I went into the race very excited to have this opportunity. We (my family) and I decided we'd make a long weekend of camping out of it and despite a few minor setbacks (forgetting the camp stove, the replacement campstove working once and then quitting, leaving a new blanket on the roof and driving off because my cat loving wife (we have 5 adopted strays) saw a cat and needed to pet it) we had a great time. My son particularly enjoyed the trials and motocross demonstrations. The course made me a bit nervous, I am not a good descender and there were two hairy descents including one with a net at the bottom in case you missed the turn. I was *so* excited to hear about that...but after a pre-ride and 3-4 practice descents I felt better about the course. Race morning a few things went wrong...the stove died (no coffee...no coffeee?....NO COFFEEE???????), the restaurant we stopped had had slooooowwwww service, I messed up my start time and had no time to warm up or relieve myself. Dumbass. I think that's what Rich G called me. SO...off we go. First lap was a traffic nightmare. Up pressure up up pressure up up up pressure we are riding up a mountain and the pressure in my bladder is increasing...now I'm not proud. Or particularly classy. Before I became a back of the pack MTBer I was a front of the pack duathlete...I've pissed myself instead of blowing a top 10 or 20 position. I can piss on a bike. I'll piss on my bike tonight. Now that I've guaranteed no one will ever let me borrow a bike....Fortunately for my wife and child, while I am uncouth, I am thoughtful...there were no showers and there was no way to clean my kit so I pulled over and watched the few people I passed as they passed me back. I am not having fun. I'm working hard, it's freakin hot, singlespeeders are passing me and dismounting and my wrist, forearms and jaw (from silent screams of terror) are already getting tight. Then, race day magic happened. Traffic cleared up as I hit a no mans land like I frequently do leaving me alone to "do my thing". After a short period I realized I was having f...ffff....fffuuuu....ffffuuuuunnnnn. My last two laps I actually cleaned the two techy downhills (still silently screamed through the last one) and then sprinted to catch the guy in front of me(I was gaining but ran out of room). Finished the race and literally stepped off my bike and had to sit. I drained myself. While I didn't do particularly well it was definitely a season high point...I climbed well, I didn't die on a descent and I left everything on the course. I also realized two things...1)I need help with my tech skills and I will spend the rest of the summer working on them. 2)When I remember that MTB is fun and not my job...I have fun racing.

The weekend following Windham was a break from Root 66 Racing.  Although EFTA had a race going on, all of the DAS racers chose to take a break, and for some, that meant a 100 mile round-trip road ride to the beach with the local cycling club (http://www.qvvelo.com/).  According to those who went, the ride was a success and the weather was perfect (as well as hot).  That also happened to be the weekend of the Cross-Country Nationals event held in Idaho.  

Tuesday, July 9th was the first Time Trial in a series of 4 races at the Arcadia Management Area in RI.  The course is titled as the 666 time trial.  Originally, it was about 6.66 miles of pure evil, but with some added bridges that have smoothed out a long stretch of technical terrain, the organizers have added an additional 3-4 minutes worth of trail to up the challenge.  If you are into technical riding and like to be challenged, this course if for you.  If you despise rocks, then you might want to stay far, far way.  

Wearing the DAS colors for the first Tuesday was Liz A and Tracy, and for the first time racing in green a special guest appearance from Steve-O.  There was also a special guest appearance by Mountain-Biker-Elvis.  The time trial works like this:  racers line up in order from what is suspected to be slowest to fastest, and they are sent off into the woods at 30 second intervals.  Everyone races towards the fastest time they can manage out on the course.  Due to the changes in the course from last year, there was no specific time to beat, so racers were out to set the standards.  

Steve gave us a great write-up of what this sort of crazy time trial entails:

"The 'Arcadia Mt. Bike TT Series' (better known as the 666TT) is now in its second year. The opening round of the five-race series was held on Tuesday July 10th, a hot and humid day - summertime in New England! The course itself was quite dry overall due to lack of rain. This year's route uses all of last year's course, but the promoters have created a custom extension to lengthen it a bit. And, the wettest sections have several hundred feet of new bridges that really simplify life. Not everyone thinks that's a good thing, but count me among those who don't mind staying up out of the muck. In a couple spots the bridges look like the Yellow Brick Road snaking off into the distance. These changes mean that we can't compare our times directly with last year, but that won't stop me from doing some math when the results are in.

Anticipating 40-45 minutes at wide-open-throttle on a hot July day, nutrition and hydration are very important to me during the day leading up to race time. I've got to say I have no complaints in this area. I was ready to rock.

From the start line, the course progresses into a bony technical area, uphill, with two stream crossings. I hear rumors that the fast guys ride this out but it's cyclocross for me. And I can't run. More of a pathetic limping jog with nowhere to get back on the bike for 50 yards or so. From here the course remains bony and rooty but features fast, fun twists and turns. Then we emerge onto fire-road and head up to the new section, which is newly raked virgin trail. The future boniness is apparent below surface but a thick layer of soft spongy forest floor remains at present. It's a Cadillac ride, low and slow, and it sucks life out of your legs. It does not last too long, and we're back out to fireroad heading down to rejoin the singletrack of last year's course. Rock gardens galore! I don't see much scenery; my vision is so blurred by my rigid bike at speed that I can't focus on much at all for the rest of the ride. Progressing down the "The 95 Trail" the course emerges onto a connector that blazes relatively smoothly downhill (just watch those sudden logs) to join the "Arcadia Trail". This trail used to be a mudpit until the aforementioned bridges were developed. More tech, more rock gardens, and less mud... but watch out if those bridges ever become damp! Final leg, we turn uphill and climb a shallow steady grade, finishing the course with a short section of bony and fast downhill and out onto fireroad, screaming downhill at 30mph to the finish line!

I posted a time of 41:26, good for fifth place. Coincidentally, I was fifth off the line, passing all four rabbits in front of me and getting passed near the very end by only one racer, Josh Kryzek (who started tenth and therefore passed NINE riders, pulling back over 2:30 on me). My times tended to average roughly around 38 last year, leading to the conclusion that the new course is probably about 3 or 4 minutes longer than last year's course.

I can't complain. Like I should, I left it all out there on the course. There really aren't any sections that I think I should have done better. That's what comes with several pre-rides in the days and weeks prior to the event. Yeah... I treat this like a real race, despite the fact that it's totally casual. Hey, our numbers are written in magic marker on paper plates."

Unfortunately, this race had its casualties.  Within the first mile, a racer from another team was walking back to the start with what was later determined to be a broken bone, and a couple of miles later, our own DAS racer Tracy was taken out with a broken wrist.  Despite the pain and (unknown at the time) break, Tracy seemed to be in great spirits after the race.  The NBX guys had helped her to get out of the woods and hooked her up with ice right away.  Steve-O and Liz both finished in the top 10, and they are hoping to improve their times the following week.

This past weekend, July 15th, Dan, Liz A, and John Y headed up to Keene NH for the Bikes for Bovine race.  Dan and Liz both brought some family members up to race this week.  Dan’s son Caden raced the entire course in the first-timer category along with Liz’s boyfriend Mike.  The rest of the kids did the kid’s race.  The location was Stonewall Farm, and it was the perfect family venue.  There was a play area, a cold stream, an ice cream stand (homemade ice cream), and a bounce-house.  Although the temperatures were in the 90s, everyone seemed to have a good time.

Dan Biscup:

“Last year the Bikes for Bovines course was “all climbing fire road all the time”. This year they had a new course so I had to see what all the buzz was about. It turns out the buzz is the sound of how fast your heart has to pump to circulate blood enough so you don’t die on this “feels like” 100% climb course! Even though I pre-rode the course, I was totally unprepared for the grueling climbs and heat under race pace. On my 3rd lap I thought there was NO way I would be able to make some of the climbs on the 4th lap, however on my 4th lap I started to feel better and actually started to pick up some speed. I finished 4th, ahead of a DNF and the series leader (obviously having a mechanical issue) but I’ll take it, 3 min behind 3rd. The best part of my day was that my 10 year-old son did the first timers race. He finished 6th out of 7 in his age group, I am so very proud of him!”

John Y:

“I had a great weekend and a great race at Stonewall Farm. I finally put everything together to finish solid mid-pack (not impressive to most but very good for me). With reflection on my disappointing season thus far I identified lack of preparation, lack of technical skill and lack of confidence as my three biggest limiters. So, I prepared thoroughly including a pre-ride, went back to basics on my last few mountain bike rides (lack of fast mountain bike rides doesn't help) and really tried to feel good about my preparation. I had my traditional poor start (I can't sprint...I max out and watch my frenemies ride away from me) but I had solid gains, rode smooth (for me), stayed off the brakes much more than I would have a month ago passing 11 people by the end of the race. I had one slight mechanical of a dropped chain and I faded in the last 10-15 minutes. I felt even better after about my performance hearing and reading about how tough the course was. Between this race and Windham I have again found my passion for mountain biking and most importantly, I HAD FUN.”

Liz A:

“I went into this race having absolutely no idea what the course looked like.  I checked out the first 1/2 mile and the last 1/2 mile, but as for what was really there, I was blind rat.  I knew that the course was entirely different from what it had previously been, and it sounded like it was going to be fun.  It was touted as having 80% singletrack or something like that... wow!  So, on the first lap, I really had no clue...  I went out with the intention of staying with who I assumed would be the leader, but having forgotten to bring my GU and scrounging up one in my car, I felt less than prepared and my legs felt like lead weights.  Not only that, but after overheating after the time trial on Tuesday, I was nervous about having that happen again.  It seems counterproductive to vomit when you get dehydrated, but I guess the body knows what it needs.  Anyhow, I was cautious on the first lap.  Going into the second, I still wasn’t so sure how the race would end for me (my psychic abilities weren’t working), so I decided I might as well use my one and only GU and see if a little bit of energy might help the next 4 laps.  It helped.  I gradually felt better, and over the final 3 laps, I felt my legs come back.  Mike told me that it looked like I started gaining on the leaders on the last laps as they started to fade and I finally started to feel good.  It wasn’t enough though.  I ended up finishing my (now usual) 10 minutes behind the leader, Crystal Anthony, and only 2 minutes behind 2nd, Kate Northcott.  The course was awesome... fun, fun fun... it was the sort of singletrack that I’ve been hoping for all season.  HUGE Kudos to Stonewall Farm for giving us something really enjoyable to race!”

Next up?  Another go at the 666 Time Trial and The Wrath of the Boneyard....

Pat's Peak - Henniker, NH

Up in Henniker, NH on Sunday, June 10th, we were brought face to face with a mountain of a challenge, literally.  Pat’s Peak Mountain Bike Festival had it all.  The ski-resort was full of fun; there was a down hill event, a 24-hour event with 12-hour and 6-hour options, and on Sunday, there was a classic cross-country race which was also part of the Root 66 Race Series.  

Liz A and Tracy with some of our friends from the Providence team...

A mere 5.62 miles in distance, the race course itself boasted of 873 of vertical climb per lap, and this was the same course used for all of the cross-country events as well as the endurance events.  According to the Pat’s Peak website, “the course is a technical mix of single track, dirt, logging roads, switchbacks and downhill.”  They weren’t kidding.  The words “technical” and “switchbacks” are probably what might stand out most in the minds of the racers who gave it their all out on that course.  Leaving you little (if any) time to rest, the course demanded focus for technical lines, endurance for the long grinding climbs, and confidence for the long challenging downhill which was complete with some steep rollers and very challenging lines.  Many racers were comparing this course to Mt. Snow, a venue that had hosted national events in the past.  Some racers hated it, others loved it, but nobody can deny that it was a truly challenging course.  It was so challenging that the lap requirements for each category were brought down in number.  Cat 2 went from 3 laps to 2, Cat 1 went from 4 laps to 3, the Pro women went from 5 laps to 3, and the Pro men from 5 to 4.  

Many of the team-members arrived early in the weekend to cheer on participants of the longer endurance races.  Ray Insalaco was in for the 12 hour race coming in 4th with 8 laps, and Liz B’s husband, Dan had signed up for the 6-hour event and completed 6 laps.  For the two-person 12 hour category, DAS shop mechanic, Chris Ames and his sister (freshly graduated from high school and quickly thrown onto a bicycle without much time to prepare) took up the challenge of the mountain coming in 3rd with 8 laps.  

Sunday was the biggest turnout for DAS racers.  Racing Cat 2 at 11:30 was Liz B who took the top of the podium in 1st place.  In Cat 1 at 1:30 were Dan Biscup, who finished 6th, and Tracy who took the podium in 3rd, and Liz A lined up with the Pro/Open finishing in 2nd. 

Dan Biscup:

“Race, good.  Wrong turn, bad.  6th place.”  

Tracy:

“This was a challenging, but fun course. I felt pretty good out there but, have much work to do. I have to work on nutrition prior to the race as well as getting more comfortable with descents and my overall technical skills. I am starting to feel better with the longer races but, still haven’t quite got it all down. Overall I had an awesome weekend with great friends.”

Liz B:

“After pre-riding the course on Saturday I seriously doubted registering for Sunday's race. It was a very technical course with a good deal of new single track that I couldn't ride. I was also doubting whether or not I should race anymore at all. My problem is how anxious I get before and during a race. So after talking with friends and teammates I decided to register, but to go in relaxed and be happy to finish regardless of place. My goal was to take it easy enough that I could smile throughout the course. (I didn't want to see any more of those ugly pictures of me gritting my teeth!) To be honest, I really didn't think I could do it. 

The course rode much better on Sunday thanks to drier conditions and the very well defined lines created by Saturday's endurance racers. I was in 4th position off the start and comfortably staying with the three women ahead of me. This gave me the opportunity to see that they were all walking the technical stuff. The four of us stayed bunched up for the first mile or so. Gradually, I passed each of the women as we were on the wider trails and fire roads. I kept telling myself 'relax, don't push, keep smiling'. I finished the first lap feeling great and in first position of all the women. Kelly, from the younger age group passed me shortly into the 2nd lap. I didn't see any other women after that point, so I continued with my game plan of taking it easy and not taking any chances. It worked! I had more fun than I've ever had in a race because I wasn't anxious. I didn't crash once and the photos show that I was smiling! I was very happy to finally get to the top of the podium for a Root 66 race.”

Liz A:

“I went into this race thinking that I wasn’t ready for all of this climbing, and it’d be good training for the world cup race at the end of the month.  I didn’t realize that the course would be so technical; it used to have a lot more fire roads and a lot less fun stuff.  I revel in stuff like that.  I’m pretty sure that I was grinning from ear to ear on that crazy downhill with all of its steep rollers and tricky lines.  

So, I started off conservatively, but I could see towards the top of the mountain when I got to the singletrack that I had a lot more speed in my legs than I thought I would.  I had rode most of the way up with Jena, who ended up dropping out with brake issues, and as soon as I realized that my legs wanted to go, I took the pass and went with it.  There was no catching up to the leaders, or as it turned out, leader, but as I came through to start the last lap, I was told that Mo wasn’t that far ahead of me.  In the end, I found out that she was 8 minutes ahead of me, but I’ll take it.  Second place felt good.  I must be learning to do something right because I felt tolerable during the race, managed to push to limit many times out there, and still felt good enough after the 3 hour drive home to wash my bike and do my laundry.”


Did we say challenging?  In case we didn't, it was challenging.  

Domnarski Farm - 3 June 2012

On Sunday, June 3rd, a handful of team members found themselves in Ware, MA for the Domnarski Farm Race - another from the Root 66 Race Series.  According to Matt Domnarski, there were record numbers of racers, even with an EFTA race going on in nearby RI.  For DAS, it was a tough choice.  Both courses are usually a blast, but it was all of the climbing and descending that really made the decision for most of the DAS racers.  With a bunch of ski-resort races coming up, it seemed like it would be best to get a jump start on the climbing.  

Pro/Open Women's Start - courtesy of Matt Domnarski

The cool part about Domnarski Farm, was that there was stuff for families to do while all the racers were out in the woods.  There’s a pond, horses to look at, and a lemonade stand with all kinds of goodies.  Not only that, but the port-a-johns were in the shade, the course was crazy fun, and all of the cat 1 and cat 2 racers were out on the course at the same time, so we weren’t there the entire day.  Oh yeah, and if you made the podium, you got cash.  What more could you ask for?

The Parking "Lot" - courtesy of Matt Domnarski

Domnarski Farm - courtesy of Matt Domnarski

Racing at 11:30 for two ten-mile laps was Tracy, Dan, and Liz A.  Shortly after that at 11:45, the Cat 2 guys, Chris and John, lined up for their one ten-mile lap.  Despite the high numbers of DNFs, all of the DAS racers were able to finish.  Tracy and Liz each made the podium in 3rd for their respective categories. 

Dan - courtesy of Matt Domnarski

Dan Biscup...  

“Domnarski farm is one of my favorite root 66 races. It has massive climbs, mud, rocks and skinnys, what else do you want? Last year at the .5 mile mark my seat post broke off. As I refuse to ever get a DNF I proceeded to race 9.5 miles standing up. If anything it gave people some in-race entertainment! So this year my goal was to complete and place in CAT1. My first lap was excellent, I felt great. I passed a person and was running 2nd or 3rd. On the last lap I felt over confident and being the cool guy I am, proceeded to jump over a rock garden section. I hit the jump hard but came down hard on the last rock. Almost did not cut it this time and my reward was loud “phssssssss” sound and a white stans cloud. I tried to get the remaining stans to patch with a co2, but it would not hold. I put in a tube but my backup co2 was spent. As I was about to start my 10 mile jog, Liz Allen showed up and handed me a pump, the race was back on! Finished last-ish. The numbers seem screwy as there were many DNFS. There were more people listed in the results than started the race so who knows. All I can say is I conquered D-Farm!”

Tracy - courtesy of Matt Domnarski

Tracy...  

“I was as usual nervous before the race feeling like I just may vomit, luckily I didn’t. Since we had a lot of rain on the Saturday before the race I was mentally prepared that it would be a bit slick and muddy. After the second long climb I was thinking I don’t know if I can do another lap and I may vomit. Again no vomit happy about that . When I got to the hill where the tree of death was located there was a rider at the bottom regaining his composure and a few other riders were walking down it. So I got off my bike and attempted to walk down, but I fell and slid down the entire hill on my ass, it was actually kind of fun. Then the bridge of absurdity was next, oh yes I walked that. There was several mud puddles that were like swimming holes and while I was going through them all I could think of was please don’t let a snake slither on by I will have a flipping heart attack. Let see other highlights I did make the 2nd lap and again did not vomit. I did see a snake on the second long climb, but be was belly up and defiantly dead so I was not panicking. I finished, had fun, got dirty, and even unzipped my jersey luckily this wasn’t UCI race or I may have been disqualified. One last thing, I am hoping that all the racers out there including myself have not traumatized the local porcupine that had set up residence out there.”

Liz... 

"I went into this race with the intention of redeeming myself after last weekend.  My goal was to start out at a comfortable enough pace to ride clean; basically, the course is technical and has some good climbing right from the start, so I didn't want to waste energy fumbling or getting off of my bike on sections that I should be able to sail smoothly over.  In a discussion at the starting line, I mentioned  that both of the lines on the first hill were rideable, so I was just going to sit and spin in an easy gear...  It seemed to work out well.  I watched everyone else dismount and run their bike up the hill while I made it up smoothly.   I wish I had passed one girl earlier when I had the chance. Unfortunately, I waited because I knew she'd be faster at climbing and flats than me, but my skills in the single track sections helped me out a lot, and I quickly found out that I would be better off just passing her.  With my slow start, I was able to gain momentum throughout the first lap, and by the second lap, I felt strong and fast.  Lesson learned:  take it easy, because I can certainly muster up the needed effort later on.  I think I could have probably pushed it a little harder earlier than the second lap, but I can't complain.  I wasn't DFL this time, I felt fantastic, and my time on the course was around 15 minutes faster than last year.  Not bad considering the course seemed a little more muddy this time."

Next Race:  Pat's Peak.  It's our first ski-resort race of the season, and the mountain is sure to challenge our CT legs!

Coyote Hill - May 27, 2012

courtesy of Crystal Gauvin

courtesy of Crystal Gauvin

A true mountain bikers course, Coyote Hill proved to be a fun challenge for the team this Memorial Day weekend.  There were many podiums - Rich 2nd, Chris 3rd, Liz A 1st, and Liz B 2nd- in their respective racing categories.  John finished in 6th and Tracy completed her first race in her new category.

courtesy of Crystal Gauvin

John Hansson:

Courtesy of Crystal Gauvin

"Where to begin...if there was ever a course that i had a chance to hang with all the roadies this was the one. The 30 foot sprint just to dive into tight single track really set the pace for the rest of the course, i found it to be butt puckering exciting and leg burning challenging.  As always the root 66 guys put on a heck of a function, kudos to them. Nearest i could tell, everyone had a great time riding that course. Its definitely my new favorite. Now, couple that with a super fun trip to kingdom trails after the race and blammo...you have the best weekend a mountain biker could ask for.  But by far, my favorite part of this weekend was really feeling like part of a team. The club turnout was fantastic, everyone was there from beginning to end. We had our own tent, our own grill, and a crap ton of laughs.  That was the reason why I wanted to race.  I know I didn't mention the countless hilarious discussions, the quote list, the off road adventure, the camping adventure, the mcdonalds deposit, and story time with aunt liz...wow i'm still reeling."

Liz Bove:

courtesy of Crystal Gauvin

“I'm not good at remembering the order of things that happened during a race. That was particularly true for this venue. The course was a very difficult one for me. I recall a blur of slide-outs, slips, endos, and overall cramping misery. I lost my water bottle on the first lap. I've never had such cramping on a ride. My calves and quads were killing me for the whole 2nd lap. First place was well ahead and by the second lap I didn't see the woman in third, so decided to take it easy and hope focus on finishing. I stopped to recover my water bottle and another time to gather myself and drink Gatorade and eat a GU. My thought was that if third place caught me, then so be it. I couldn't have finished without giving myself the breaks. It ended up working for me. First place was never a consideration. She passed me early and appeared to be flying over the technical course! The results showed she won by 9 minutes! I finished in second place and was very happy to be done with it.”

courtesy of Crystal Gauvin

Tracy Gustafson:

“My first Cat 1 race, DAM THAT WAS HARD!!! 

courtesy of Crystal Gauvin

This course was more technical than any other course I have raced so far and, since I upgraded, I got to do 3 laps instead of 2 - YIPPEE!! There was a lot of single track, roots, bridges, and twists and turns. Now for the play by play: At the start, my plan was to be at the back going into the single track, being my first cat 1 race I didn’t want to screw anyone up. Soon after the start I was able to pass 3 girls for a little while anyway. The first lap I felt good it seemed to be all coming together and I was thinking dam this is fun!! By the second lap I was slowing down some, but was able to hold off 2 of the girls until the end of that lap, when cramping started to slow me down some more. Going in to the 3rd lap I was starting to really hurt. Still holding off one of the girls until probably mid way through, when my legs and arm started to cramp even more and I had to stop. Then it all fell to shit, I tried to keep it on the bike but, cramps in calfs, feet, adductors and hands slowed me down and at this point I just wanted to be able to finish. Overall glad I upgraded, I may have been DFL but, I finished and had fun. Pain = Fun right? I am very impressed how fast peeps were able to race that course, some very skilled racers out there. Also impressed how kind everyone was, anyone who passed me whether it be the Pro and Cat 1 guys lapping me or the and the girls in my Cat. They all would ask it I was okay or offer words of encouragement. MTB racing is an awesome experience with wicked cool peeps!!! Looking forward to another beat down next weekend.”

Liz Allen:

courtesy of Crystal Gauvin

"It was survival.  I felt awful after the first lap and felt like I was barely moving at a slow crawl.  My start was a little stressful, but I was able to put that behind me after a bit, but I never really got into a good groove.  Racing on the 26 hard tail seemed to take more energy out of me than I wanted.  I was constantly out of the saddle.  It was tough, but I didn't let myself quit, regardless of how badly I wanted to.  Thankfully, the course was fun, and it's about time we see something more mountain bike racer inclined and less 'roadie'."

EFTA's Weeping Willow

A handful of DAS racers took the starting line in Ipswich, MA Sunday for the Weeping Willow race at Willowdale State Forest.  With this being the farthest drive of the season (so far) at a little over 2 hours, it meant leaving pretty early for those guys and gals racing in the Sport category at 9:30 am.  Representing DAS this time around were Liz Bove, Matt Danis, John Hanson, and Liz Allen.  

The race had required registering in advance because of its popularity and lack of parking, and it was capped off at around 400 riders well before the registration was officially scheduled to close.  DAS had been fortunately tipped off to this in advance and told that it would be a fun race to head out to.  The rumors held up; the course was fast and fun.  

Liz B - courtesy of Michelle Packer

Liz B had a podium finish once again in a stacked field.  This race brought out a lot of female racers, which is not always that common in mountain biking.  Here’s her take on the experience:

Women's Sport - courtesy of Michelle Packer

“Weeping Willow was a course that suited me well. It was fast, flowy and not very technical. Since the women's fields are so small, we all started at the same time. In the Root 66 series, I'm familiar with many of the racers by now, but in this race there many new faces and I couldn't be sure who I was racing against. I got off the start in 2nd position. At the second section of single track, a woman who looked crazy fast (yes, I judged a book by its cover) got in front of me. She got caught up a couple of times, each time I tried to get past, but couldn't. The third time she fell I was able to get around her. We were about 3 miles in and I led the first lap from that point on. My reaction to being in the lead was to ride scared. I was anxious and trying to look behind me often. This made me push harder than I probably should have. 

Liz 1st Place - courtesy of Michelle Packer

For a while I think I had a sizable lead, but soon into the 2nd lap, Kyla caught up to me. I knew Kyla to be a very fast rider, but also in the younger category. We stayed together for most of the 2nd lap with Kyla leading. With two miles to go, we had been caught by two more women, Haley and Amanda, when I wiped out. Now all three women were in front of me as we headed into the final stretch together. I didn't know what category Amanda was in, so I passed her, only to be passed by her, Haley, and Kyla respectively. It was an exciting finish with all four of us passing and being passed in a short distance! I was relieved to learn that Amanda was also in the younger category and I had taken first in the 40+ Cat 2. 

I had a great time racing and really have come to appreciate the camaraderie of the super cool women that race!”

John H has been working hard the past few weeks.  With only two races under his belt and bike that weighs a good 5-10 lbs more than the competition, his attitude is admirable:

“I came with a plan to race my own race. I didn't worry about the hole shot and aimed just to keep them in sight. Everything worked out great! Came through the first lap with plenty of legs left. Made a couple of passes stick through most of the second lap in spite of two minor crashes. But at the very last section of single track I had a really good crash that took it all out of me. The frustrating part was losing all the places that I had moved up to, knowing I had enough left to hold position. But in writing this while sitting in the doctors office waiting for x-rays, I’m smiling remembering how much fun it was. Looking forward to coyote hill. I’m hoping for some better luck so I can see the hard work pay off.”

Matt made his debut this week racing a geared bike for the first time this season.  He raced his singlespeed at his last two races.  Another guy with a commendable attitude despite results that he wasn’t completely ecstatic over:

“A bad day on your bike is better than not riding at all. That's what I am going with today. The course at Weeping Willow was fast and flowing. I however, was neither. If the goal was to suffer, then it was a complete success.”

Liz A lined up with 5 other elite women for what was certain to be another leg ripper.  Unfortunately, she had her first, and hopefully last, DNF of the season:

“I should have known better than to go into the woods with no tools again.  I’m done with that.  Regardless, it wouldn’t have made a difference even if I’d had the proper supplies.  I was basically about 2 miles in when I noticed my bike was steering a little off.  In fact, I thought something was wrong with the fork at first. When I finally allowed myself to look down, I was devastated to see my tire had lost a lot of air.  I kept pedaling while I really let it sink in.  In retrospect, that was probably a terrible idea because then I had even farther to walk out of the woods.  I also think the flat had started before I’d even really gotten going because my bike felt awful from the very start of the race.  Anyhow, I spent some time cheering on the racers that had started after me as I made my way back the way I’d come.  Fortunately, or unfortunately, (I’m not really sure about this one yet) I came across a guy who was patiently waiting for a medic to escort him out of the woods.  He’d hurt his hip and couldn’t get up, but he offered to give me CO2 so that I could ride faster to get him help.  On my way back to get help, I actually encountered the help who were already on route to the poor guy, so I didn’t feel bad when my tire started getting flat again, and I had to slow down.  By the time I’d made my way to timing van to drop out, the elite men had already started coming through to start their second lap.  

It was a huge disappointment, but I knew that even if I’d been able to put air in my tire, it’d only have gotten me a little farther, and a tube would have been nearly impossible to get in with the tight-fitting Ardent I use on the front.  

When I got home, I found that the rim tape had a puncture in it, and it had probably been there awhile.  There was sealant caked around the hole, and I’m guessing it was a problem just waiting to show itself.  Unfortunately, it cost me a fun day of racing.  On the plus side, I got to watch Karen Potter kick some butt, and I got to cheer on a lot of my friends who were racing while I caught up with some other friends.  It turned out to be a great day!  I even scored some loot from the raffle!” 

The results of the race can be found HERE.

The next race on the agenda is Root 66’s Coyote Hill Classic which will probably be the farthest drive of the season at around 4 hours away.  It’s a fun course, and it sounds like it will be well-attended by team DAS.