Off the Front: Boss Cross 1 & 2: An hour is a long time

Boss Cross 1 & 2 were my kickoff to the cross season. The races were at Barry-Platte park. I raced the men's category 3 both days. Both races were 60 minutes long--which is a ridiculously long time to race. Now that I got my first taste of cross, I'm excited for what's yet to come.

Race recap:

Boss Cross 1: I had a front row start and was sitting third right behind the two guys who would ride away and win the race. I was feeling good and not under any pressure. Then I screwed up on a steep run/ride up and had to put a foot down because the guy in front of me slowed. I struggled to unclip and get going again. I lost about 5 or 6 seconds and tried to chase back to the two leaders. I started to close the gap but blew up in the process. Shortly thereafter, a guy from Colavita passed me. I tried to get his wheel but was still in the red and he opened up a gap pretty quick that I had no chance of closing. I spent about the next five laps in "no-man's" land riding by myself. After a while, I could see Adam Keck and Mark from KCBC closing on me and slowly they caught up. I'd been riding the steep hill by the road all day (maybe that was stupid-since that is where I lost the leaders and would mess up again [spoiler alert]). Finally, when Mark and Adam caught me, I got nervous and fumbled on the steep run/ride up trying to ride it and Mark (who ran that section) ran past me and was gone. He accelerated on the hill after the run up and immediately had a gap. He opened up a large enough gap that I never saw him again. Adam Keck also passed me at the same time but I was able to get his wheel and keep him in sight. Adam and I battled the remainder of the race. With about four laps to go, Adam opened up about a 15-20 second gap and I mentally checked out and stopped chasing, conceding that he got the best of me. Maybe not having to chase helped with my form, because before I knew it Adam was in sight and I was getting closer. To my surprise, I caught him with two laps to go. He dropped his chain running the 180 after the run/ride up and I put in a big effort to open up a gap and held it to the end. It was kinda of Contador-ian (Yes that is a word--because I said it is) in last years TDF. I'm not sure if the same etiquette applies in cross (I'm thinking absolutely not). If he hadn't dropped his chain it would have been interesting. I'm not sure what would have happened because I was hurting. My back was killing me. 5th place. That was hard.

(chasing Adam)

Boss Cross 2: The course ran opposite today and started with a fast gravel section that was pretty loose. I got a crappy starting position on the third row and was about 15th into the gravel. It took me about a lap to move up through the field when I finally got behind my nemesis from Boss Cross 1 (and Boss Cross 2 as it turned out [double spoiler alert]) Adam Keck. By the time I caught him, I had no idea who was in front of him. I later learned that the three leaders had a huge gap in front. I never saw them. Once again Keck and I did the dance were I would make up time on him, then he would open up a gap. Back and forth it went for almost the entire race. Unlike last race though, we weren't swapping positions. I was trailing him the entire race. Racing so many laps from behind, I picked up were I could make up time and Adam wasn't going as fast and vice-versa. I learned pretty quick that I was getting destroyed through the barriers, the steep 180 before the barriers, the steep root-ladden climb, and through the sand. I felt like I could make up time on long slow up-hills and the curvy sections. We were equal everywhere else. Finally, I caught Adam with about two laps to go. In my mind I caught him in one of the better places for me on the course based on the way the race had been going. Typically, I would make up time during a long slow false flat, a curvy section, and a slow uphill (then Adam would take it all back in the sand). I caught Adam in the false flat and figured what the heck and put in a big effort in a spot where I thought I could gap him. I knew I could probably get a gap on a few twisty turns and a slow up-hill right before the sand. I just hoped that I had enough power left through the sand that my gap wouldn't get erased.

Amazingly, my plan worked. On my final lap, about 20 seconds before the finish, I was passed by the Men's Open leader, thankfully I was done. 4th place. I won some cash that I redeemed on the way home for this: