Thrilla Cyclocross Series Race Report

Background:

For many years I've wanted to a cyclocross race but for some reason or another never truly committed to doing one. This season however, with my new found love for bicycles I connected with a cycling of team of cyclocross racers which gave me the push I needed to jump in in the world of "cross" (as cyclists call it).

Fortunately living in Bend (a city based on outdoor sports) there is a series of cyclcross races every Wednesday in the month of September called the "Thrilla Cyclocrss Series". I heard of this series only 2 weeks prior to the first race so didn’t have training time but my motivation was high so who cares!

Although this wasn't my first endurance race or my first time racing others on a bike, this was my first true "bike race" in addition to my first cyclcross race. Cyclocross for those who don't know is basically a bicycle race on a dirt bike track with some interest obstacles thrown in.

On to the races!

Race 1

Given this was my first race; I learned a few things instantly. First thing I learned was (unlike a triathlon) the start of the race plays a large factor in how the rest of race will unfold. I figured I would ease into a steady pace from the start as I normally do, but from the moment the race director said "GO" the pack of cyclists around me were sprinting as fast as they could to get out of the pack. A few minutes into the race I found myself passing people, but I still felt as if I "missed the pack" with my slow start. The second thing I learn is that although these races are short (30-45min in this series), they are very exhausting. I felt like I had been redlining at a sprint pace the entire race. I finished this first race in 7th overall without crashing so I was pretty happy.

Race 2

This race was "commuter" themed, meaning if showed up dressed like a bike commuter going to work you not only looked cool, but also got to start in the front! Which, after my first race I needed. To fit the commuter theme I was dressed in some khaki shorts, a flannel shirt, some tennis shoes, and to complete the look I was on my steel framed single speed commuter bike. While I figured this attire and bike would slow me down, I actually did pretty well! The single speed bike took the thought of shifting out of my head and the tennis shoes saved me from having to click in my shoes when hopping on and off the bike. Both of these advantages would normally be a disadvantage (gears help keep a steady cadence, and clip in shoes increase power), but for a fairly new rider like my self this helped. I finished race 2 in a very suspiring 4th place!

Race 3

Given my experience with the first 2 races my confidence was growing and I was ready to really attack the start and hold my pace. After the go the entire pack sprinted right into an up hill bottle neck, some riders where falling over, others were trying to slowly mash the pedals up this dirt hill, I threw my bike on my shoulder and started sprinted around everyone putting myself ahead of the main pack. I held this position the entire race and finished in 4th! Of all the races in this series this was my favorite. I feel like I made a good decision in the start by running with my bike vs. riding it. Additionally I was alone most of the race which allowed me to truly enjoy the experience of a cross race.

Race 4

This race didn't go so well for me. I had an okay start but kept yo-yoing back and forth with some other cyclists, which frustrated me. I would pass them then soon they would pass. I finished this race in 7th overall and wasn't very happy with my performance.

Race 5

After race 4 I was focused on finishing out the series on a high note and redeeming my previous performance. Fortunately I did just that. In this last race I felt in controller and “raced my own race”. I finished in 4th place and was happy not only with my performance on that day, but also with the entire series as a whole.

Overall Thoughts:

Given that these races were part of a series the true winners of each category are based on overall series performances. Although I never finished above 4th place, I constantly showed up and raced which earned me 3rd place in the series! I was very excited with this result and will definitely be racing the series next year.

Check out the offical results HERE.

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