Cactus Hugger race & Whiskey

[nelsonccc]

Just signed up for these two races. Kind of using the Cactus Huggers as a fun one but really looking forward to the Whiskey in prescott next month. It'll probably kick my ass but in the end it'll be good for me!

Anyone else going?

[REDFOX]

Racing has been a blast for me as long as it is downhill and only punishes me for 6 minutes. I thought that I was going to die in the one and only cross country race that I did last year on my downhill bike. :haha:

[nelsonccc]

I enjoyed the 24 hrs of bootleg a ton. And I find I do better when I have a goal to aim for. Now if they had a Clydesdale SS category I'd be set.

[Kent K25]

I'm interested in the cactus hugger race since it's right here so close by.

Here's my question though. I've been mountain biking for several years but have never entered a race...do I enter in the Beginner class or Sport class.
My initial thoughts are to go with beginner since I've never raced before...or will I stick out like a sore thumb in beginner because it's more for beginner mountain bikers in general, not beginner racers? I really don't care about how I finish compared to others. I'm not looking to get into racing, more looking forward to a new experience and a "free" shirt to top it off.

[blueeyes]

I don't think these races attract "begineer" bikers. I think they are just new to racing. So they will be good just not pro. But I know nothing only raced once in a off road tri. I say go begineer and if you kick all their asses.... nice!!!

[tallsteve]

Race "Beginner" if you've never done it before. The category is for beginner racers. I think you'll be surprised at how competitive even that category can be. If you finish in 1st, move up to Sport next race. If you finish in 2nd through 5th place, do another couple races in Beginner. Or, if you think you just want more miles, try Sport right off. The problem is, you can always move up a category, but it's not as easy to move down.
My 2 cents: I haven't done a ton of racing, but the ones I've done I have finished well in. My biggest problem was always attitude- "I'm just gonna go race for fun". This was really hard for me to do. I'd go into it thinking this way so I wouldn't get so nervous but, once the race started, I wanted to kill it. I’d start in the back of the pack because, after all, I “just want to have fun”. Once everyone starts rolling out I’d realize that I can go faster than this, but because I started out in back and the bottle-neck, it was hard to catch up to the guys in front. The races where I finished in the top 3, I made up my mind to go hard right out and started in the front. Also, keep in mind that even though a Beginner race lap is around 8 miles, you are pegged (sprint) the whole way because it is only 8 miles. It’s hard to get into a comfortable rhythm. Do practice rides of going all out for race distance. Interval training (yes, even on a mountain bike) works wonders.
Go lite. Be a weight weenie come race day. If I was racing 8 miles, I wouldn’t even carry a spare tube. What’s the point? If you have a blowout, everyone will pass you by the time you get it fixed. A small CO2 canister and patch kit, sure. Lose the Camelbak. Too much weight. Carry a single water bottle. If you only ride with a Camelbak, practice only carrying a water bottle. It’s way different. You don’t want it to screw you up on race day. Save weight where you can.
Don’t mess with your drink-of-choice, gels or chews on race day. Go with what you know and like.
Join a team. Even if it’s just for 1 race. They are there to give you tips, how-to’s and encouragement. Many of them will also have a mechanic on hand. If you are racing Sport or multiple laps, they will even give you your 2nd water bottle (so you don’t have to carry 2; the weight thing again) when you come through the lap point.
Hope this helps.

[Kent K25]

That information is super helpful Steve...actually convinces me that I was right to avoid it these last few years and avoid it still. I know myself well and would only be in it for fun, no interest in really killing it for 8 miles and racing all out pegged/pushing it to my limit. Maybe it's not for me after all. I'm a pretty competitive person depending on the sport, but biking has never been that way for me.

[tallsteve]

I hear you, Kent. I love the camaraderie after the race, but I don't like the nervous tension the days/hours leading up to it. I used to thrive on it, in my younger years when I was playing a lot of b-ball, but now I'm more casual. It took me many years to retrain my psyche to think this way and now I have a hard time going back. Plus, race days are just that- ALL DAY. Even the local races take up most of a Saturday. I'd rather go ride my favorite local trail then get home and do the normal Saturday home/yard/family stuff.
I do have to say though, I raced the weeknight biathlon race at Soldier Hollow last summer and had an absolute blast! Very laid back and I dug the shooting portion of it. I can't wait to do it again this summer. I have to do at least 1 race every season so the utahmountainbiking.com race team can get my trailwork hours!

[RedSpecialized]

my thoughts, I've only raced down hill so take it for what its worth. I've raced in about 5 our so different races, I stated out beginner & worked my easy to sport. I only ever did it for fun. so I definitely would just race for fun if I were you. I loved all the races I did. it was fun to say I had been in a race, it was also fun to just experience what a race is like and to meet new people. I'd see a lot of the same guys at the races.

I'd at least do it once, don't worry about what place you get, just have fun! don't have to do it again if it wasn't your thing.

[REDFOX]

Everything that Tallsteve and Redspecialized have said are spot on. Chere is right about the beginner class being beginner racers. I went into my first race with the attitude of just having fun and I finished 2nd place. That was the last time that I raced just for fun. When it is time to race, you give it everything and go all out. I have most of my race plates and I have hung them up in my garage. It can get very addicting. The races that I was a spectator, I was kicking myself for having not entered the race. Lots of nervous tension.

[Kent K25]

I think I'll just go out and pre-ride the track tomorrow and make a decision. If I like the route they have set up then I'll probably enter. If I really don't enjoy the route at all I'll probably pass this time around.
Thanks for all the input guys.

[nelsonccc]

I just race for the fun of it. I could care less what position I come in at. I enjoy the competition, the riders, the atmosphere, all that. It's fun, plus it gets me out to ride areas I typically wouldn't ride. Plus there is nothing more satisfying than passing a skinny guy on the uphill. Love that crap!

[blueeyes]

It is fun to race! I plan on doing it again eventually. :haha: Nerves suck!!!! But once you hit your rhythm nothing else really matters. If you do decided to do it. Follow tallsteve's advice. Go lite, don't mess with the food you are use to eating. I thought I would be smart and put Gatorade in my water bottle instead of water. I was soooo sick!!! I hate that stuff.

Just do it!!! It is a fun experience at least once. You will either love it and do it again or decide it is not for you. Most of all just have fun.

[Kent K25]

Pre rode it last Friday and today. A few spots are gonna kick my butt for sure. Too much shuttling trails and standing on the sidelines coaching basketball has killed my endurance. But I'm looking forward to the experience anyway.

[blueeyes]

Good Luck Kent!!

[nelsonccc]

It was fun. A far better turnout than I would have expected. I think we're going to try to hit up more of the icup events.

The route was far harder than I thought it would be or than the map and google earth implied. Still fun but tough.

Here are my map and stats. I'm still amazed that I can even do this stuff! Getting better and stronger every time I go out.

http://j.mp/I0pRBQ

[nelsonccc]

Pic

[REDFOX]

Nice work ! Part of racing is the cool t-shirts as well as a ribbon.

[Kent K25]

Yeah, I wasn't expecting the shirt to be such high quality either, figured it would be just a regular old cotton shirt.

I ended up taking 3rd in the Beginner Men 30-39. Lots of fun, too bad there's no more this year in St. George.

[blueeyes]

WTG! Kent.

[tallsteve]

You let Christian beat you? Just kidding! Seriously, nice job! Glad you enjoyed it!

[Kent K25]

Thanks Chere.

Nelson, 2 laps had to be a major leg burner! After the last climb on the only lap I did my legs and lungs were burning. 2 laps might have killed me. :hail2thechief:

[Kent K25]

Haha Steve! He had me by a good 3 minutes. Plus I'd look funny on that top spot. I'm already the tallest one down on the bottom step ;)

[nelsonccc]

Yeah, I wasn't expecting the shirt to be such high quality either, figured it would be just a regular old cotton shirt.

I ended up taking 3rd in the Beginner Men 30-39. Lots of fun, too bad there's no more this year in St. George.

I probably should have stuck to the beginner class, but I thought it would be fun to race with the other Clyde's. However they were all like rockets. Most of them I never saw again including a guy that had to of had 30 pounds on me. I heard that one of the Clyde's would have taken 2nd overall if he'd been in the regular sport class.

That second lap was a killer! Took everything I had not to pull into the gate and call it quits after the first lap.

[tallsteve]

Haha Steve! He had me by a good 3 minutes. Plus I'd look funny on that top spot. I'm already the tallest one down on the bottom step ;)

...and you're not even standing up straight!
Christian deserves his 1st place finish. After finishing mid pack all last season, he worked his butt off this winter and its showed. I'm guessing he'll move up to Sport now.

[accadacca]

Nice work guys! :ride: