The venue was an assault on the senses. It began and finished in the velodrome, looped around the infield and wound it's way on some trails and into a wooded grove that was loose and deep. It wound through some grass, had a double barrier and then a steepish incline before it reentered the velodrome with one final single barrier before the finish.
My race on Saturday lasted about twenty minutes as I could not find a good place psychologically to maintain my suffering and focus. Before I was aware, my bike would and could not pedal any further as my chain was wedged pretty good between the inner ring and the chainstay. In futility I tried to wiggle it out with my fingers but it did not budge and I was forced to DNF. I later found out that I had to take off the crank and readjust the chaincatcher.
Determined to not lose face on Sunday, I raced again on the course. It was a tad modified but only a few tweaks. Most notably there was an ill placed log at the bottom of a turn and hill that added an additional run up. What was great about the course or not so great were the dynamic turns. They allowed racers to see their competition as it wound its way up and down. If you chose you could see how far people were behind or ahead of you at almost any given point in the race.
I started well and my confidence was up. I marked two riders ahead of me that were coincidentally on the same team. I actually heard them argue with each other about why the second guy wasn't taking his pull. I could tell the guy sucking his teammates wheel was getting gassed and passed him on the next set of barriers. I was now on the guys wheel and didn't hear a peep from him. He proved a bigger challenge to pass and was running out of real estate. I still have no clue how team tactics work in cross racing if at all. I was in the top ten for most of the race and on the last lap, got passed by three gents. My decision at that point was easy. Burn my last match to stay on the wheel or limit my losses and ride within myself to not have more people pass. I chose the latter and unfortunately moved from the business end of the action to mid mullet and finished in 12th.
The venue and vibe could not be better if anything a tad warm with temps in the low 80's. San Diego, which used to be known as the younger cousin of LA can stand proudly on it's own two feet. It is becoming the destination for people that want to escape the scene of LA and relax for a weekend in any number of chill beach neighborhoods. Don't believe me? Check the 5 North on a Sunday evening. It's red lights as far as the eye can see with everyone going back towards the concrete jungle of the north. I'll be taking a break from cross next week as my interior walls need some attention in the paint department. The week after it's more action in San Diego! Check traffic before you head down.
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