Rutgers Scarlet Scurry Day #2

Link for 2012 race.

More rain today, but this time it wasn't letting up. Brandon and I arrived in New Jersey ready for another day of racing. Devin had given us a car tarp, considering the rain, so I starting working on setting it up, while Brandon went off to warm up.

However, my attempts at raising the tarp did not go well. I had parked at a corner of the lot, near the grass, so I could stake down the tarp. The rain was really coming down, and a stiff wind was blowing off of the nearby lake. Every time I managed to get the tarp 90% up, a big gust would tear it back down. For about 20 minutes, I wrestled with stakes, poles, cords, and tarp in the wind and rain, but all I managed to do was coat the mess in a combination of motor oil in the parking lot, and duck poop from the grass. Somehow I had chosen a spot next to the Exxon Valdez of car lots, and the entire area was covered in piles of duck poop. Apparently, I was at the low end of the parking lot, and all the runoff was flowing around my car. Finally, when a gust picked up the entire mess and launched a tent stake across the lot into a parked car, I gave up and shoved the soaked, oily, stinky duck poop mess into a bag in the trunk of my car. Egh.

Brandon leading the chase in the splintered C race:




The course was tough, slightly under a mile, with a 3-4% grade on the back side. Nothing super steep, but after a dozen laps, it really starts to hurt. Brandon had a good race, earning points on every sprint lap, I believe. One really strong rider got a way and stayed away in the C race, and swept up most of the first place points.




Fortunately the rain let up for the B race, and the breeze wasn't too bad. Because of the points format, I think some guys decided to go all out for the first 2 sprint laps, they were very fast. Scoring at least one point was critical to placing ahead of the majority of the field, which probably wouldn't score. I sat back for these first ones, hoping that I could hang on and that the later sprint laps would be easier as the legs wore down. Maybe some of those that managed to get points on the first few laps, would not contest the later points.



I managed to get to the start of the climb in good position, one guy was a few seconds ahead of the field, so only 3-2-1 points were up for grabs. I got passed half way up, and then shortly after, another guy. I was charging pretty hard, and didn't have much more to give, but I was totally invested at this point. The difference between scoring, and not scoring, would have a big impact on placing because of the points system. Two guys were coming up fast, and I only barely managed to stay ahead at the line for a single point. After that I breathed a little easier, scoring that single point was important.

Only sprint point:



The last few laps were very tough. I didn't have much left, I was starting to get sloppy on the bike and pedaling squares. I started switching to the small ring and going high cadence which I think got me up a little more efficiently.

The single point was good enough for 9th overall, satisfied to make the top 10 again. Awesome race, tons of fun, and a good challenging course.

Best bike of the race: Really cool bright purple frame, every time he went by, I couldn't help but stare.

Best quote heard from the sidelines: You're riding Dura-Ace, you can get up that hill!

Now I'm spending the evening cleaning road grime out of the nooks and crannies of my bike. Shower time, the dirt gave me a bad looking uni-brow.