Nittany Day 1.

It was awesome. Stayed relaxed and just pedaled the first two/three laps. Caught and passed the Jules, but then he dropped me.

Nittany Day 2.

More tired but more awesome. A bunch of early mistakes were definitely paid dearly in the results. I'll be starting plenty of races in the back rows, gotta expect and plan for stupid in the first couple of corners. But mostly: I gotta learn to trust my fitness and driving skills.

There was mud so everyone was happy.

Dale, Jules, and Jim looked like the hotness.

Next race is likely to be Gloucester. So going big!!

Photo by Sergio Garabito.

Solid mud pit pics here...seemed to be camped out there for the 35+/55+/60+

http://www.sergiogphotography.com/p926580775

I can't believe how many of us endoed into that pothole on the right. I was lucky that my flying squirrel maneuver saved me.

Marc is that guy running in the neon jersey the winner in your field?

Jules said:

Marc is that guy running in the neon jersey the winner in your field?

Looks like...shit this dude likes to win a lot.

http://www.crossresults.com/racer/21643

I'm sort of glad that I'm still trying to claw my way out of the 40s, so I can't properly annoyed that the top 5-10 Master's dudes aren't racing UCI Elite.

I bet he ran that mud every.single.time.

One of this year's tricky spots. Wasn't quite this bad for most KCC racers as the conditions hadn't deteriorated too bad by the time we were racing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skiUkG4XFG8&feature=youtu.be

Hotlist!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/49621659@N07/21452523092/in/album-72157658286259440/

My back hurts just watching this picture. No kidding!

Thierry Bonnaire said:

My back hurts just watching this picture. No kidding!

Speaking of hurting backs...my road racing season core routine proved totally insufficient for this weekend of racing. The ouchy was incredible.

In other commentary on this picture, this reminds me that I must learn to ride that damn log. Because while I was able to zip up the hill with little drama most laps, the space between top of the hill, log and the subsequent remount zone before the dive down and following run-up, is just so tiny and awkward. I felt like a beginner most every lap here. Just not enough space to elegantly remount. Interestingly enough, the one lap I chose to run it because of a dude sprawled out on the ground all over the rideable line, was probably my smoothest.

Still, after watching the Belgian fly over 40cm double barriers, I surely can ride a little log?

Marc Bertucco said:

Thierry Bonnaire said:

My back hurts just watching this picture. No kidding!

Speaking of hurting backs...my road racing season core routine proved totally insufficient for this weekend of racing. The ouchy was incredible.

In other commentary on this picture, this reminds me that I must learn to ride that damn log. Because while I was able to zip up the hill with little drama most laps, the space between top of the hill, log and the subsequent remount zone before the dive down and following run-up, is just so tiny and awkward. I felt like a beginner most every lap here. Just not enough space to elegantly remount. Interestingly enough, the one lap I chose to run it because of a dude sprawled out on the ground all over the rideable line, was probably my smoothest.

Still, after watching the Belgian fly over 40cm double barriers, I surely can ride a little log?

This. On both counts.

Still, after watching the Belgian fly over 40cm double barriers, I surely can ride a little log?

You probably can, and if you can do it every lap then by all means go ahead. If there's a decent chance you will be the "dude sprawled out on the ground" then running may still be the better option. Unless of course you just own that and not get upset if it happens ( which of course is why all the spectators are usually gathered there.....).

None of y'all rode the log?  I'm surprised.  I did about half and half and while some of my jumps were pretty ugly--somebody actually laughed and said 'well, that will work, i guess,"--I definitely preferred staying clipped in to not.  At the moment clipping in seems to be my biggest hindrance second only to my lack of legs. On the times I ran, remounting and coming down the hill without being clipped in and then hoping off at the stairs felt pretty hairy.  

Nittany 2017 registration is open:
https://www.bikereg.com/34636

eloy said:

Nittany 2017 registration is open:
https://www.bikereg.com/34636

Most awesome. Do not miss.

Here's a link to last year's reports/photos in case motivation is needed:
https://kissenacycling.vanillaforums.com/discussion/comment/88451/#Comment_88451

tomorrow we race.

Day 1 Report.

• Literally the hotness. Over 91 at the line.
• Phil looked awesome, but had a mechanical earlier in the day.
• So hot hot hot hot I forgo my hat under helmet. So hot I am holding my glasses at the line, cause otherwise they fog up.
• We start, go hard, Patrick crashes, he recovers well. Still, he signs up and does the 3/4 race later in the day. Hot.
• Don't feel great, but I can see I am doing well. Keep at it.
• Scotty, my new Whirly friend, catches me about 1 1/2 to go "Together again! lookin' good!" he says. I wave him through, hoping we'll work together, he totally drops me.
• I grab a miller light handup on the last lap, my hand and brakes are now full of beer. But, #handupsyay
• OMG, I thought I was gonna faint after crossing the line. That was hard. Hard awesome.
• Post race, lots of hangin' with Patrick and Anthony. Will grab some Pizza from the velodrome farmer's market -- now a tradition, which I share with all my new puppy friends.
• Brittlee raced to third. Sweeet.

Day 2 Report

• I miss racing with Jules.
• Today is still hot and humid, but not as crazy as yesterday. 
• A little misty rain makes the grass slip, slip, slippery
• Staged second to last row. ugh.
• Awfulish start, takes a couple of revolutions to actually clip in. By the time I hit the first obstacle -- that muddy bit, behind the velodrome -- I'm sharing the honor of "back of the race"
• Pedal, pedal, pedal
• heartrate more mellow than yesterday
• End up racing with Aias Cienfuegos -- how hot is that name?!? -- feel stronger than him, but his attack at the bell proves otherwise
• Got a PBR handup "See!! New York knows how to do it!!" that beer was awesome and really cold.
• Feel like I didn't crack the 40s. But finished 26, somehow I passed half the field. MAC points yay!
• ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
  
• Later, I ate as many hotdogs as I could, took photos of Peter Berttuco, Jim looking like fire, and Brittlee who full on brought it and exploded her race.

Thanks Eloy, I miss you guys too. Can't believe this race has turned into a "can you take the heat" august scorcher.

Loved watching Chabs take the W (online) and LVG is amaze, as always.

Nittany registration is open!!

Go at it. The 4/5 races are staged by order of registration, so register early and often.

https://www.bikereg.com/13th-annual-nittany-lion-cross

Just scroll up to read about all the levels of hotness this race brings. Perfect course for roadies and those new to cyclocross.

Nittany is the hottest of the hot. Nearby, fantastic and, of course, hot. There is precious little fun in life that can compete with a weekend at Nittany with teammates.

Nittany registration closes today.
https://www.bikereg.com/13th-annual-nittany-lion-cross

https://player.vimeo.com/video/139120721

Who is going?  My travel plans have fallen through.  Anyone want to split a car rental and/or hotel? 

I wasn't last in 40+ masters. #smallvictories

54 years old and still attacking the winning group. LVG is is all that

https://www.velonews.com/2018/09/race-report/nittany-lion-cross-day-one-zaveta-and-werner-take-the-spoils_478845

Her ride was very impressive to watch. I remember her starting pretty much
at the back as well. It’s fascinating to watch the pros race ‘cross.

Me, I went 7/62 and 8/62 in the 4/5 field this weekend at my first ever
Nittany Cross. The track was still very damp for our 8am starts. The course
requires a fair bit of pedaling, and those who conserved momentum through
the many turns found free speed—so key, as always, in cyclocross. But when
the tape straightened up, as it did on three or four occasions, you’ve got
no choice but to hammer. I never saw the front of the race like I did at
Whirlybird last weekend. I’d say call-ups by order of registration didn’t
help, but really I’m just not that strong. Yet. Or until some people ahead
of me upgrade—whichever happens first! Ha.

@MaxThorn I dunno man, two top tens back to back sounds pretty good to me, especially if you didn't have a good callup.

That's spitting distance to the podium. You probably don't need to get any fitter but if you train your technique weaknesses you'll be raising your arms before thanksgiving.

I appreciate the encouragement y'all. Interesting that you consider my distance from the podium more due to technique than fitness. I'll give bit more detail about my races as evidence for my thinking that it's more fitness than technique that's holding me back--though obviously I want to improve both.

First is that my better result was on the wetter Day 1. Despite lap times that were all over the place (9:07, 8:43, 8:56, 9:10, 9:05), I finished only :51 seconds off the podium and felt, anecdotally, closer to the front of the race. In fact, with three laps to go, I gapped my small group but soon realized I didn't have the legs to hold that position in no-man's-land, much less bridge to the 5th place rider some five or more seconds ahead. So I pegged an effort I felt I could hold for the rest of the race. If the group I'd left behind caught up with me--and there were real drafting advantages on the straightaways--then I liked my chances coming out ahead of them by the finish line. On the drier Day 2, after the prior day's racing had shorn the course of grass and the mud had firmed up, I raced more consistent laps (8:41, 8:51, 8:54, 8:54, 8:57) but finished further back, 1:03 behind third place.

During both races, I noticed I would gap riders at the barriers, the mud pit, and the stairs. On the last lap of Day 1, after that group I'd left behind had indeed caught up with me and we were racing for 6th-9th, I decided I would make my move at the mud pit, and I did. I was sitting in third wheel. Two turns before the pit, I passed a rider--second wheel. At the pit, I took the low line I wanted, rode halfway into the mud, dismounted before I lost any momentum, ran past the rider ahead of me, and was set up for 6th place. The finish line was 200m further down a wide and nearly straight section of track. Then Jonah Rosenberg cranked out a massive effort to pass me back, and I ended up 7th.

It was also in the mud pit on Day 2 when I finally shook a few people who had been on my tail for a couple laps and soon thereafter made two passes in the tight turns before and after the barriers. After that I knew that all I had to do was steer my bike through the corners and I'd get upgrade points. Points were all I was racing for that day, because the lap report confirmed what my legs had already told me: by the end of the first lap I was decisively behind the two leaders, with a lap that was 20 seconds slower. Also, I only had to put my foot down twice all weekend. Maybe that means I could've taken more risks, but I stayed relatively upright compared to the racers around me, who were sometimes able to catch my wheel even after they had slid out in a turn. The efforts from Day 1 really took their toll and on Day 2 it was really difficult to get my HR up, a classic sign of fatigue.

All of the above makes me think it's more fitness than technique. What do y'all think? I'm doing a polarized training plan right now, and I've yet to hit the peak. I'm optimistic that I'll be able to find a higher gear in the next couple weekends and race for the win. Also, there's already more room at the front: two friends who have beaten me a combined five times already this season both upgraded yesterday.