2010 Mount Ogden 50k
Written by Grizzly Adam // August 30, 2010 // Bike, Races // 8 Comments
Apples and Oranges.
I lined up for the 2010 Mount Ogden 50k with one primary purpose in mind—to find out where I stand in comparison to last year. I wanted to go into the final days before the Point 2 Point with some sort of barometric reading of my fitness. A way to zero in on a few race-day expectations and goals. And hopefully, a green light signaling me onward in that Quixotic pursuit of “the race of my life.”
But then something unexpected, and admittedly disappointing happened. I finished 8 minutes slower than I did in 2009.
“$*&#@”
Eight minutes is an eternity. Days. Eons. A lifetime.
All sorts of thoughts streaked through my brain in a panic laden effort to explain and understand.
“The mud. It had to be the mud.”
I looked over the results.
“Times are slower than last year. A lot slower.”
I relaxed, a little.
“The mud. It must have been the mud.”
But then, what if it wasn’t? I poured over my 2009 and 2010 race files. Why was I faster last year? Higher heart rates. A negative split. I climbed quicker. Descended better.
But I felt very good on Saturday. When I stepped on the gas, the engine responded. But the course was sloppy and soft. And I did have to take a few moments to dig mud out of the crown of my fork so the tire would spin. But still, eight minutes is a long time. And so, I know nothing today. And that leaves me feeling rather unsatisfied. And perhaps a little discouraged. Which frankly, might be a good thing given the lofty—and probably self destructive—ambitions that have been steeping slowly and gloriously in my addled brain.
However, any lingering doubt or over-analytical anxiety can quickly and easily be abolished. How?
Pedal dammit.
And in fact, that phrase stood at the fore of my effort on Saturday. At some point I had to dismiss the 2009 comparison, and the upcoming 80 mile odyssey, and focus purely on the here and the now. And once I did that, I found myself riding back into the fringes of the fastest finishing times of the day. Today is not tomorrow. And a 32 mile cross country race with 4,000 vertical is not the Park City Point 2 Point. Apples and Oranges.
And yet, lingering and festering is the nagging reality that eight minutes is a long, long time.
Exit Question: It was the mud, right?
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8 Comments on "2010 Mount Ogden 50k"
It was the mud. On Tuesday I pre-rode it riding fast, but definitely not at race pace, and had the same split times as I did at the race.
Could I get a copy of the title picture from this post? The photog at the race sucked.
There are some pretty good photos here.
Umm, have you considered that it might be the increased wind resistance due to the beard? mmmm? Ok, so perhaps it is the mud, you are riding well, don’t stress too much, this is supposed to be fun, remember? on a side note: I haven’t been so excited and freaked out about a race since the first time I did 24 of Moab.
Grizzly- I was not there but mud is huge. If it was sticking to your bike enough that you had to remove it from the fork crown then it easily accounted for 8+ minutes. Over 2.5 hrs even thick dust can account for a lot of time. Don’t sweat the times, go by feel. Just relax, PCP2P is just another bike ride on fun trails.
bart
Thanks Bart! Saturday is going to be a lot of fun.
Keep freaking out adam, cause you know, freaking out takes up more energy, and you don’t need any of that saturday.
Must have been the mud. By the time we got around to “the mud” it wasn’t too bad. Thanks for packing it off the trail for us.
Good stuff! I continue to enjoy reading these posts