Not the only bag of sand! LARPD 11/22/08

LARPD 11/22/08
Race: Men's C
Field: 40ish
Place: 14th
HR: Avg. 177 Peak 228

So no big expectations here today but I was hoping for a better finish than I did. I was feeling bad as I was "Sand-Bagging", apparently I wasn't the only one there doing the same. At least my excuse was that I had to leave early to take my daughter to her first concert.
I set out thinking I had a chance at a Podium, Guess again! So lining up I pulled up to the front thinking that I'd go for the sprint. Then some clown in a "Ritchey kit" pulls up in front of me. I'm thinking that's pretty ballzy, dude if you're that good upgrade, Whatever!
Off goes the whistle and again I can't clip in worth a darn! I loose about 15 spots just from a bad clip in. Looks like I really need to get out and get those darn clip-ins down or I'll spend the rest of the season catching up to where I should be in the field.
At least this time around I stopped hoping the guys in front of me were actually going to try to chase something down instead of the usual hold on tight and try to get home in one piece. So every chance I got I hauled tailto get past some of the back markers and move up as early as possible.
I finally got to the point where moving up had stopped and the racing began. I'm on this guys tail exchanging pulls every so often and taking advantageof the quick long legs and getting past him every so often over the barriers.Couple of times during the race I had noticed a little chain slap and I'm thinking dang must be that big ol'sandpit Shane has us going though gumming up the works, better be mindful.
We're getting to the final lap and some guy is moving up from behind. Not to worry he's about 10 sec's behind and I'm now looking to make the move on my immediate competitor for a 10th spot. I'm thinking I'll take him on the quint barriers.
We're leaving the corral and into the triple before the little grassy bump. I put or is that drop my bike on to the grass whenI drop my chain.....DAMN! Not to worry I'll throw the chain back on and we're in business.
Stupid me I get back on the bike no momentum thinking I'll get up the hill in good shape when the guy coming up from behind passes me, CRAP! Game over he's gone so is Mr. 10th!

I'll stick to the Cat B 45+ at least those guys are honest about their skills. Except for this guy Chris Stastny, When I was leaving that guy had a good minute lead within the first 2 or 3 laps. Time for that guy to upgrade with speed like that.

Which brings me to the whole Categorization thing. Man they really need to start using a system. The whole self placement thing " C's are for those trying Cross for the first time" blah blah blah, at what point does one move up? I find the B's race to be less intense than the C. And then there are some in the B's just annihilate the field......what's up with that?

Humm what next GG park Cross race, More training and save it for the CCCP race this year. I'm drooling at the thought of that race! It's more like the Euro CX races that I invision.

Later