Cranky Monkey #4

cranky monkey number two for me, but number four in the series

www.ex2adventures.com


there are a number of theories

the heat of the day was a factor... but the heat of the day was a factor for all involved

there is talk of a "samson syndrome"
that I was fast at Cranky Monkey #1 where I took second in the 35+
while the removal of my beard messed with my mojo
stealing me of my strength
leaving me weak
causing me to fall to 15th our of maybe 30 35+ racers today

there was some time off the bike
there was my vacation in colorado
those things may have taken away my speed
but... I feel that it may have been a case where the course did not favor me
as a matter of fact I feel that the sharp turns along with the stop and go took far too much energy from me
it seemed like there was a great deal of energy used to start the bike from a near standstill

I had speed today...
like a boy has speed on prom night
I was plenty fast
I just was not fast for long

yes, I am talking about the fast hard three pumps of pleasure
this can happen in sports too

I had shown up psyched to ride and race
overhearing that the course was a combination of the climbs of Fountainhead with the technical demands of Schaffer farms
the bike was running well
I was psyched to be racing
but it just did not come together for me

these trails were so much like the east coast style trails that I began riding on many years ago
that I ended up riding like a beginner

it was painful
I had nothing
I had no technical
I had no lungs
I had no legs
I had no power
I had no endurance
I had no self confidence
I had nothing

it was a brutual slog fest
just me and my bike

out there along
trapped in some cyclists no mans land
with the fast pack ahead of me
and a slower riders scattered somewhere behind me
I rode along at a painfully slow pace
no fluidity
no flow
just slow

lots of dismounting for short steep climbs
lots of heavy breaking on sandy turns

as mentioned
there were endless 90 degree turns that demanded major deceleration
there were short sections that allowed for some acceleration
only do bring the speed down again

lap one had me thinking that I did not want to do a lap two
the thought of lap two had me thinking of not wanting to race at the Shenadoah Mountain 100
much of the race was spent thinking about my ill preparedness for the SM100

the excuses are lined up
but I think that I may still be doing the Shenadoah Mountain 100
my body did not feel unnaturally sore
slow yes, excessively sore... no
the crash has little left of a bruise... sure there is a knob that looks to be either bone or hardened fat that is pertruding from my hip
but nothing that causes any pain or discomfort when I ride
and the back did not seem to be giving me any complaints
so the excuse of last weeks crash is not a valid excuse

the thought of camping with the kids and riding with friends sounds like too much fun for the approaching holiday weekend
would not want to miss it
as it will be a two wheeled party