Huffmaster Race Report from Glen A (2022)
First, thanks for the gracious kindness of our club member who read and sometimes comment on my race reports.
View From the Back
89 miles, 4800 feet of climbing, half gravel or dirt, half road, including some very bad paved roads.
Prelude: This is an unusual hopper in that the first 40 miles or so are largely flat. Traditional bike race wisdom says “Sit in the pack and do not burn your matches.” This is good advice if you have the fitness to win the race. In men 50-59 the winner finished in 4:24, averaging over 20 miles per hour. All 50-59 podium finishers were 4:30 or less, for reference the men’s overall winner finished in 4:10, about 21 miles an hour. There are not enough matches in the world to get me to the finish with those fast old guys.
Act 1: The first 25 miles were spent staying close to the front. In the early gravel sections, four or so, each of a mile or more, I repeated the cycle of getting gaped then sitting in the wheels to let others pull me back to the pack. After those opening sections I could not make it back to the lead group or even the second group. Many matches burned.
Act 2: With the leaders away, the remaining riders broke into small reforming groups: chat, ride, paceline, remix, repeat. I rode with Matt F. father of US High School Mountain Biking which he started at Berkeley High, Alex BHS MTB group one (FAST!) coach and city of Berkeley tree guy, Chris (Christine) who raced bicycles in college at UC Davis, Molly water policy analyst, Wylie nice guy with perfect salt stains on his shirt and helmet straps. At one point Chris asked me to ride harder, but I told her “I’m not sandbagging, I’m at my limit.” She was happy with that. Any matches left? Not sure.
Act 3: Descending into the rest stop and a break, Thanks! Got my musette, drank an Ensure, met a guy with a mustache like a big cigar (Amazing!) and rode out with Alex (BHS group 1 coach). We discussed caffeine - it’s banned in high school racing, and before long he rode away. This section is quiet and painful. Gradual climbing, rough roads, loose gravel, sore feet, upset stomach. Molly passed me, smiled and said ”Hi! Join the paceline.” I lasted about 4 miles. The pace was ok, but my tired brain and nervous system could not manage the constant minute changes in pace needed to ride safely in the paceline. Once alone my internal dialogue kicked in: “Keep drinking, keep turning the pedals, I’ll get through this.” Match box empty.
Act 4: Second rest stop: water, caffeine gel, climb and descend Huffmaster Road. Huffmaster is called “Road” but it’s really a Jeep track: narrow, winding dirt and gravel. With 42mm gravel tires at 35 psi, the dirt descent was a welcome break. Flow, brake, flow, carve turn, flow, to the flat gravel runout, turn back to pavement. On the final tailwind tarmac I traded pace with a 67 year old guy, until 5 miles to go when we went back to gravel again and he dropped me straight away. Five more miles of gravel and pain, then it’s over. 5:50, 79th of 99 at about 15 miles an hour. What are matches?
Epilogue: 79 of 99 at Huffmaster on February 28th and 36 of 94 at Low Gap on January 30th? Did I have a bad day at Huffmaster? No, I'm happy with my 15mph average speed considering the fat and soft tires, dirt and gravel roads and climbing. I raced both about as well as possible considering my fitness, skill, age and genetic potential. Maybe I’m better suited to the shorter distance. Maybe the field was stronger at Huffmaster. Not sure. For both Low Gap and Huffmaster I’m thankful to have had the health, time and resources to race.
Race Report from Glen A
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