Critafied

Well last weekend zpack and I made the decision to head down to LA for San Fernando and then Bicycle johns in Glendale. Just in case any one was wondering those courses kicked ass. San Fernando (SF) was a P shaped course.
While we were warming in we ran into SAM, an extremely talented young 17 year old rider. This guy races with a lot of heart and has the legs to back it up. No doubt we will be seeing him emerge in the pro ranks before to long. We made the decision that we would have a go with a break and figured if we were all present we would have the motors to stay away. Well Sam must of missed something because the gun went and so did he... from the gun, fast. I bridged up to him after 5 or 10 minutes and then Seth followed shortly there after. It was a blast. We rode really hard, cleaned up all the primes, but were caught with about 10 or so to go. Coming around the last corner I got pinched on the inside and forced into a sort of additional rise in the rode... Long story short I had to empty my tanks just to get up to speed with the cats who got the good line around the outside, and seeing as how it was a LOOOONNG sprint I plateaued rather early and ended up some where around 15th. Seth was on the outside and was able to hold a surge that came through and finished for an awsome 4th: Good enough for an upgrade. I had a blast though, and it was probably the most fun I had a crit all season long. I am no where from having this thing down but I definitely am feeling a lot more in control and I am starting to be able to read the pack and the race better. Also, my instincts are starting to change. When I started races they were completely unreliable. They would tell me to go when really I should stay. Then I would stay when really I should go. I was burning my matches in all the wrong places. But now I feel like I am starting to get the hang of it.

Following the race Zpack and I headed to the movie theatre to go see kungfu panda... and got a little HULKAFIED ON THE WAY...

I tried to Seth into it. But if you ask me he looks constipated.

The Bicycle Johns Glendale race was even better. Due to some masters sandbagging the pace was excruciatingly fast for a cat 4 crit (average speed for the whole thing around 27mph). Which turned out to be great. I, along with others were very active attacking in the first part of the race, and then when the field was pretty tired the PAA rider was able to sneak away. Seth bridged, then a couple more. I was blocking in the field with about 10 other PAA riders who were covering pretty much anything that tried to go. At one point the break was only about 5 bike lengths up the road, I thought for sure it would get brought back. But then as It grew again to around 10-15 seconds I thought I need to be there. I noticed the pack sort of take a huge breathe together just after an Amgen guy made a good dig at the front but was shut down. I swung wide on the inside and made my move in the section into the wind knowing that If I jumped hard enough no one would be able to cover. I stood up and jacked my pedals for about a whole lap. I made it, but was dead. Great. I was thinking in my mind I bridged to the break, now I will be dropped. I yelled "SETH". He looked back, smiled and then dropped back to make sure I had a wheel and didn't get dropped while I recovered. We worked hard and stayed away. Thats right... a break worked... in the cat 4 races... Coming into the last corner the guy who was first wheel rolled his tire. The rider who won ended up being the one who came around him the best. I got forced outside, Seth and Sam made it around inside. Seth gave third to our junior friend Sam who needed the upgrade points so he can go to junior nationals. Sam is a great kid who worked hard in the break; he deserved it. I ended up 5th just behind Seth. Which was good enough for two upgrade points with puts me around 6 or 7 points.
BEST CRIT RACING WEEKEND EVER! It was my last race with Zpack as he is racing as a three this weekend and I am probably gonna be a four till the end of the season.

M: took it easy and did an hour spin easy recovery.
T: Ferrin+ lunch ride+OSM
W:Hope Ranch+Sprint work out in pm

Here are a couple picks from the first real day of mountain bike racing.

Zpack and I bitting the gold baby!

Podium shot number two.