FSC 1: A weekend to forget

The opener of the Florida State Championship Series last Saturday and Sunday in Gainesville at Hailes Trails couldn't have gone worse for me. I brought a slingshot to a gunfight on both days.


The Saturday time trial went great for me as far as riding technically smooth, pacing my effort and saving enough for a burst at the end of the 4-mile test. Unfortunately, I just wasn't going fast enough. I was caught by the guy who started a minute behind me near the end. My time was 19:55, good for last place in the 40-plus Expert Class.


That set an ominous tone.


I got a great sleep Saturday night, awoke Sunday morning feeling ready to race. I had a good warm-up and went to the line feeling loose and calm. We blast from the line and I'm near the middle to back of the 16-rider field going into the singletrack.


I could tell early on I wasn't going to challenge the top quarter of the field. I had labored breathing and was riding above my fitness. I kept pressing until I finished the first of four laps in a pedestrian 25.02.


I knew I had to back off. That's when I began getting passed by a few riders and basically felt helpless. I brought the second lap in at 26.95. In the third lap, I began feeling much better and upped the pace. I found a rhythm climbing and I hammered the straights. I began catching some of the riders who passed me earlier. I finished Lap 3 in 26.31 and began the final lap invigorated. I ended up passing five riders during my last two laps. I passed the final guy to climb into 10th place right before a steep climb about two miles before the finish line. While beginning that climb, I snapped my chain while standing.


That's racing. And that was it for me. A DNF. I didn't bring a chain tool with me because I've never broke a chain in training or in a race.


I wasn't ready to race in Gainesville. I have plenty of miles in my legs, but not enough at race-pace. To go faster, you need to ride faster. It's really that simple, and I haven't been riding fast enough in training and haven't ridden off-road enough. That will have to change for me to improve.


Getting embarrassed like I did can do one of two things: cause you to focus or fold.


I'm focusing on getting faster.