Happy New Year!

“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes.

Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're Doing Something.

So that's my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make New Mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody's ever made before. Don't freeze, don't stop, don't worry that it isn't good enough, or it isn't perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life.

Whatever it is you're scared of doing, Do it.

Make your mistakes, next year and forever.” 
― Neil Gaiman

Boss Cross ~ Missouri State Championship CX

Sooooo Freekin Close!!!! Yet so far....

Last weekend was Missouri State Cyclocross Championships (Boss Cross) put on by Joe Fox (Cycle City). I have wanted to win a state jersey ever since I knew they existed. I knew this year was one of my best opportunities I am going to have in a while.

I ended up taking 2nd with a really stacked field with guys coming over from St. Louis and Columbia. I would be pretty bummed missing out on winning that jersey, but... The kid (literally) that won it was 17 (I think) and that's kinda awesome! I thought it was pretty impressive for a kid that age to come out and put a whoopen on us old fellas. Great job kid!!!

Race started okay at best, I slipped out of my pedal and ended up a bit further back than I would have. But the course was pretty wide and wasn't too difficult to jump on my boy Chris's wheel and by the end of lap one we were sitting 2nd and 3rd. We kept Botts within striking range if it weren't for we were at 100% and by lap 3 or 4 I knew the race for 1st was over unless he had a mechanical.

Saw a bunch of people running this. Not sure why, it was pretty easy to ride over. Pic Jesse Miguels

Chris was pulling us around like a man possessed on lap two and blew himself up a little. I do the same thing, its why I don't care to be off the front much in a cross race. Fast forward a couple more laps and Tim's and his big engine caught us after his usual start too far back.
Once Tim took the lead I jumped on his wheel for a while. We stayed that way until the last lap and a half. Tim was running a section of sand on the back half of the course that I was able to ride. I ended up getting a small gap on him at that point and it was now or never, so I just hammered it with what I had left.

Chasing Tim around! Pic Jesse Miguels

I buried myself on the last lap and was still not able to shake Tim now sitting 3rd and Chris was coming on strong as well just behind him. Tim was right on me coming into the same sand section (there is a video of this section I took of the 1/2's on Instagram) riding this section again crated another 2 second (ish) gap and I ended up winning by the same margin. Tim and Chris fought to the last second. Great race!!!

RESULTS

ROGER'S PICS

JESSE'S PICS

Owe yah, and this happened on Monday as well!!! Here is to a new cx journey about to begin!!

The following request to change your USA/Road category has been approved and processed by USA Cycling:
Member: Jason Douglas
License: USA Cyclo-cross
Request to change category from Cat 3 to Cat 2

Fast and Furriest CX

Picked up my boy Chris  Farney (No link, he still has a flip phone if you can believe it)  and headed down south to race at a new venue at the Grater KC Humane Society. 

The course was well laid out with some long sections (hurt me bad) and then had a run up and some off camber, turns, and some elevation gain on the back side. 

Cat 3's had a little better turn out than the last couple races exceeding 10 racers. Got a front row start and hit the hole shot about 4 back. Some of these U23 kids take off like little rocketships. 

Britton has a video of it on Instagram. 

Immediately I saw a guy who looked like a gazelle (Rocky Remy) make a move and knew I had better get up with him. So here I am red lined already and not even a minute into the race, well that's cross for you. I have a hard time pacing myself, so I just settled in behind him for a couple laps, making sure I had his wheel on the pavement and some of the other longer flat sections. 

Each time during these flat sections we would drop Chris a little but he would be right back rubbing my back tire on the back half of the course. 

One more lap of Chris catching back up. "rubbin is racin"!!
ALL PICS ARE ROGERS. THANK YOU FOR DOING WHAT YOU DO!!!

About 3-4 laps into it, I was unable to get clipped back in and bobbled a bit on one section. That gave Rocky enough room to get me out of his draft and he maintained the gap for the duration of the race. Good work man!

Next problem is I am fading rather quick. Second to last lap was my slowest and one of Chris's fastest. Bad combo for me. He caught me and quickly opened up about a 2 second (ish) gap that I found rather hard to close. Coming in last lap, the game plan was attempt to catch Chris by the final pavement section to the finish, hopefully draft and out sprint him. 

This is the way it wen't for the majority of the race. Rocky, me and then Chris. Patrick Orrick was close to joining our group on a couple occasions but never quite made it.  

Coming into the last section of 180's Chris had a laps of focus and did this little endo/bobble/almost fall but catch himself/but lost his chain thing and took himself out of the finish. He had that same 2 seconds on me and I doubt I would have been able to close it if he had a clean lap. He was hitting that particular section of the course pretty well all race.  

So there you have it! RESULTS HERE

Rogers Pics HERE

Hug out and watched the Cat 1/2's again. Another great race. Evan Fast I thought had a great race with a strong second behind a stupid fast Jensen. 

Next up, Boss Cross and it will be my last as a Cat 3. Going to request an upgrade to Cat 2 and start getting my butt handed to me.  

I hope I have some more Cat 3s do the same, I know its late season, but its time. I know several that have enough points to do so. 

Lets make it a huge field and race to not get lapped!!!

Lost Trail CX

Holidays has got be a little behind. I had intentions of driving to either Iowa or the other side of the state last weekend to race, but when it came down to it, just couldn't force myself to drive 4 hours to race 40 min. Same way I skipped out on Jingle Cross this year.

BUT..... Was able to race the weekend before down at the Lost Trail CX. I made it out to day two with a pretty small turnout. Not sure whats the deal with the Cat 3's, last two local races you could not add up both days and get 20 different guys. Its kind of strange when the Cat 1/2's have a bigger field.

Anyway, I have never raced there before but got the scoop from Travis who was there the day before. After a pre ride, it was for sure going to be an interesting race to say the least. Lots of turns and some decent technical turns, etc. The start finish was a long out and back, long and flat enough to get a good draft if you could, so some strategy could take place.

I do not normally like to be out front of the race from the start, however after my pre ride, I did not want to get behind someone and then have them crash in front of me. There is not much worse of a feeling in a cross race than watching the leaders gain a half a lap lead on your while your stuck behind a crash or slower riders.

Start line, I knew what needed to be done (nice when you only have two rows) got in front and took the hole shot. Led the lap and we quickly had a 3 man race. Tim Herre, Matthew Gilhousen and myself.

No shave November did not intimidate anyone, that's for sure. 

After a couple laps in it was just Tim and myself. I was leading out each lap but just could not get a gap on him. I led the majority of the race. Twice, Tim got close to getting on my wheel when his front wheel wen't out on him. Both times I took off the best I could but ole Tim had some fight in him this day and clawed his way back each time.

Two laps to go I found myself running out of steam and Tim took off on me and I really could hold his wheel for 30 seconds or so until I just did not have any legs left. Game over. Tim earned that one for sure! Good job dude!

I ended up enjoying the course a lot more than I thought I was going to. I just could not find any sort of groove on my pre-laps, but once racing I think I settled in. Sort of anyway...

Stuck around for a little had some beer with PotPie and watched Cat 1/2 race. That was a damn good race to watch.

As December is here I am pretty sure I am going to upgrade after Boss Cross so hopefully some other 3's will do the same. Would hate for it to be just me, Keck and John racing to not be in last place in the Cat 1/2's!!!!

Links

Cat 1/2's showing us how its done!

Rogers Pics

Results

I know there was a handful of guys taking pics. Let me know if you run across any.