Geoff Gunderson's Blog – October 2008 Archive (3)

The venue that is Soquel High School is top notch, and the Velo Bella and Surf City crews put on what I think was just about the coolest bike race I've ever been to.



The course was excellent, a bike riders' course. A fit bike riders' course, but one that favors confidant riders. I wouldn't say it's really technical, just that you are not off the bike very much. A ditch, a run up and that's it. Other "run ups" were completely rideable, and reminiscent of the small pitches we'll be… Continue

This course has quickly become infamous. This years' edition was as miserable as previous, but a better course I thought. I got there early, set up, and tried to get my number and a warm up in. I did the best I could in my sweats w/ about 40 minutes of riding time. I had to stop and stretch periodically, so I could get on and off the bike. It was a cool overcast morning, perfect racing weather. I started feebly in the back of the pack, actually felt good on the run up, and then preceded to get… Continue

First CX race of the year, and I was completely shocked at how the intensity was so much more than what I'd been training at. Wow.



I mean, not that this course SHOULD be all that bad, but for me it was. For climbers and those who have good threshold, it's a quickish climb, and then a large recovery. It opens on an uphill, and cuts across a side slope, before going up a longish (for a cross race) climb up a paved path. This climb killed me 4 of the 5 times we went up it. Once up on… Continue