2010 Over The Hump Series (Merged threads)

Discussion in 'Racing and Training' started by stinky180, Dec 10, 2009.

  1. 1X9er

    1X9er Don't call me Junior...

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    Yess that was him!!! And as you can see in Dino's pix Ryan (#593) got an excellent picture at the start of the race. Where is my pic????:-k
     
  2. tscout

    tscout New Member

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    Sorry you did not enjoy the race. As a fellow B(-4) "racer" who has never raced before, I had a lot of fun. Everyone was very courteous and when someone slowed or blocked the trail people behind were understanding. I did get a big hit in my shoulder from an elbow while trying to pass on the last short loose uphill--but i understand its part of the experience. Thanks to all the OTH organizers for a great time!!
     
  3. Cilantro13

    Cilantro13 ...

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    I had a great race punctuated by a deer bursting out of the brush on the first climb and passing right behind me. I jumped right across the trail. I literally felt the wind from the deer as it passed me and I though for sure it would hit the rider that was immediately behind me, but it didn't.

    Finish was a photo finish with Dan from Silverstage -- I tried to drop him in traffic in the last section of singletrack, but when I looked back along the boat yard, there he was and passed me up with a great effort. I drafted off him right to the last turn and tried to pull away wide. He stuttered right at the end (I can't remember the reason he told me now for the little hiccup), but it pushed him a little wide and forced me to break my momentum just barely and when we came around the turn we were just about neck and neck. We hit the finish line at the same time and not straight on. I wasn't looking at his tire, so I can't say who was first except it was very close. My heart rate at the end pegged out to about 104% of my max HR. End of the day, not a big deal because one point made no difference in the final standings - I finished 12th, but only because I raced 11 times. But it was a great battle and a great way to finish the season.

    As for the elbows and tire rubbing and all that. Just part of racing. I have been cut off, had my tires rubbed, done my fair share of tire rubbing, gone over the bars trying to avoid a rider who went down right in front of me, and been in a drafting accident. I did a lot of mooching off other people's drafts (thanks by the way to Craig E. who pulled me along the last straight section on the back part of the course before the climb to the grass), and gave people a pull a bunch of times. It is all part of the fun, and thankfully in this series the jostling only lasted for the first 5-10 minutes until the traffic thinned.

    Great season, and I look forward to seeing everybody next year.

    #133
     
  4. heith

    heith Member

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    I had a great time and love the series.
    I don't get why people think they are so bad ass and skillful because they can descend faster than a little skinny climber in a XC race. When you can make up all that time descending that he put on you on the climb and actually win, then you got skill and you can talk.If that's the case then maybe you should be racing DH or SuperD and not complaining about skinny XC riders. I also don't get the "hope you earned a big paycheck". What are you talking about? It's a RACE, not a freaking charity event and just because we aren't pros doesn't mean we can't compete at our respected level like them. If you don't like a little rubbing then don't show up to a "race"...Everything I ever raced had rubbing going on, get over it, get out of the way,and/or try time trialing. It's nice to call out where you are going(right/left) when you pass but if two people are side by side going up at the same speed blocking and not falling in line, then I'm glad the"B4" shot up the middle..Sounds to me like you were in the way, pass and then move to the right is good racing etiquette not riding up side by side. I don't know why you belittled him for having a B on his leg either, everyone starts as a B. At least he showed up to a race to actually race.
    Anyways, I had a great time racing all 12 races against the 3or4 guys in my class that I always found myself competing with and can't wait til next year.
     
  5. d'man

    d'man Dirt Lover

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    It has been a great season for Silversage and myself out at OTH. Each week I looked forward to Tuesday because of the great people I have met and fun vibe...oh and to ride my bike at race pace. Trail riding with friends is where my heart will always be, but there is nothing quite like race pace. I made the jump to S2 this year and was amazed by the speed of the riders. Through hard steady work, week in and out, I managed to earn 14th place for the series. I had perfect attendance (raced all 12) if that counts for anything ;)

    I had a pretty "off" race for #11, so I was ready to finish out strong with #12. The photo finish with Marlan was certainly one, if not "the" highlight of my season. We were both racing pretty hard the entire last half lap. I was trying to close the gap with him on the back straight towards the dam. He pulled away on the last big climb, but I pushed it hard the last 100 ft knowing it was flat grass then down. I took a lot of speed into the left hand corner and chased hard on the "S" turns. Coming off the beach after the plunge by the waterfall some pros were coming by on their last lap. They go so fast you can't help but feed off their energy and try to keep up...even if only for 20 ft :). By the time we hit the final singletrack we were back together. The final dusty little climb we both got jammed to the inside by a rider not quite able to make it up. My crank position was right at 12 o'clock when I tried to hit it and my right calf started to cramp. Marlan started to pull ahead again. I just tried to work with it, push it as hard as I could without going into full-calf lock up and trying to compensate with other muscles and positions. I chased hard again and managed pull back even in the cottonwoods. Out of the cottonwoods and towards the boatyard we had some traffic, but the course is nice and wide. Marlan went left and then I made my move and gave everything I had bursting right. I buried myself with everything I had left and pulled ahead but could feel Marlan on my wheel, never looked back, but knew he was there. There had been other races I had sprinted the finish, but always alone or with people from other classes. The crowd saw us racing for the finish and really began to cheer us both on. I thought I made good moves to hold Marlan back but somehow he was right there at the finish. I don't know who ultimately crossed first, but it was racing at its finest! I wish I had a finish like that every week, because the feeling was awesome! I think we were both pretty proud for the effort and show we put on. I for one was certainly wiped.

    Thanks to OTH, Matt, John and all the volunteer for this great memory. I look foward to many more. I would love to crack the top ten next season and pick up a few mugs too. :clap::clap::clap:
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 1, 2010
  6. zioncoming79

    zioncoming79 Old Man Dead

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    Thank you for having us as a sponsor! It was well worth it. We made new friends, saw many customers, and hopefully earned a few new ones. Until next year...

    [​IMG]
     
  7. Giddy

    Giddy Member

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    I am a true beginer in MTB racing I need to stop and have fun so if I am riding a wheelie by you don,t worry I am out of control most of the time or I might be slide around a turn thinking its a speedway race but I am have a blast do it I cant wait until I can hang out in the top ten for aleast two miles while it is all about having fun just ask Ricky Bobby Go Fast!!! 8~)
     
  8. socalchef

    socalchef New Member

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    dudes...i could hear someone behind me on the second lap, in the first section of single track. I kept checking behind me but never saw anyone, and nobody ever said anything so I kept truckin'....as soon as I made the left turn out of there and into the little clearing, Sid went flyin' by. He was like a ninja assassin. I couldn't confirm he was there, I never saw him coming, but all of sudden BAM there he goes. one of the regular pros and Tinker weren't far behind, there was no chance for me to try to pace them. I'd already blown up after Dino taunted me on the backside climb on the first lap :D That last 30 yards or so up the hill, I bet I looked good ;)
     
  9. dislocated1

    dislocated1 New Member

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    Whooooo, I am one good looking guy... running in sport and am a beginner all the way! I didnt get dead last though.... 27th out of 28 finishers in class! Was a darn good time out on the bike though
     
  10. OCMoto

    OCMoto Member

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    Totally had a blast again this week! It was great racing and great hanging out with everyone afterward. And Dino...you said my wife was bummed last week about my instant race addiction? She brought watermelon and cookies for you this week, now how do you feel? :-s j/k :lol: When are we going to Korean BBQ?

    My only disappointment this week is that I waited so long to try OTH and the series is already over. I am truly hooked on getting out there and seeing how far my limits can be pushed. My competitive nature(with myself) had been completely dormant for years of being out of team sports.
    JoJon, still thinking about doing the triple crown series? I'm in :beer:
     
  11. TeamDEKEbmx

    TeamDEKEbmx Member

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    What is up with highrevphoto...? No photos for August 31 series final? I keep looking and... nothing
     
  12. mtnbikej

    mtnbikej Well-Known Member

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    Jason didn't shoot this race because he was racing this one. His race report is in the last page or two.
     
  13. TREE

    TREE New Member

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    He rode in the race. Hard to take photos and race at the same time.
     
  14. socalchef

    socalchef New Member

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    I'm sure he's got an automated/remote time lapse rig.... :D
     
  15. Sweetpea

    Sweetpea Member

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    My girl friends and I joined this series late and with some reluctance. Now we are hooked and planning on doing the series next year.

    I was going to complain about the craziness that goes on with the juniors starting behind the women, but that only lasted until the hill. What you guys are describing sounds much worse. From the descriptions above, it was like you were at a different race than me or else I'm so clueless that I didn't realize all of that sneaking on by was upsetting. Maybe the guys are nicer when they pass the girls, I dunno. Once I got clear of the start line, I never had a scary or unpleasant experience and I had a whole lot of friendly and encouraging encounters.

    I really, really appreciated the course marshals. They never failed me in their directions and kept me out of a mess o' jams. The race organization in general was excellent and the participants' and spectators' attitudes were the very best.

    So, thanks to everyone!
     
  16. dirtsnack

    dirtsnack Member

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    I Got Treed! I Got Treed!

    Tree got taken out a few weeks ago by someone out of control and got rammed from behind and got knocked over. Well it was my turn this week.Twice!! That and I did kinda rolled over a guys wheel that did a flop-a- roo right in front of me right after the split on the single track. Speaking of single track ,on my first lap before the small drop onto it, it was 5 deep waiting to get into it. I was yellin "Conga Line" Da da da da DA you know the song. :lol:That and traffic on the small 2nd HAB on the lake side. Damn I was off the bike 4 times. #-o All good times tho. I wanted to knock one more min. off my time from last week. I got the same time and last week. So I'm very happy with my run. I'm so close to getting a cup!!Next year.
    Dino makes it sound like I should be a pro on the hill climbs.:) I heard Dino cheerin and I get on the horse some more and kick it. It just so happens Dino is at the right place at the right time. Thanks for the cheers and all that you do for us Dino. Someone else was cheering for me the just before the start/finish line! Thank you!!!
    I had a great time at all 4 races I did. Thanks to the OTH gang for puting this all on. I hope maybe a fall/winter race could happen.

    Damn I want a cup!!

    Dirtsnack (Glenn)_
     
  17. JoJon

    JoJon Member

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    I got a late start on the series, only raced the last three. I did a lot better then I thought I would, 1st race 20th 2nd race17th and 3rd race 11th I was headed in the right direction. I was so happy to receive a mug for my 17th and 11th place, next year I'm gonna try my hardest to get on the podium! It was great to see and ride with Dman, Jeff, Rodgerdodger, OCmoto and who could forget the one man STR cheering section Dino!

    A big thanks go to Matt and John for putting the OTH race series together!! What a great way to bring family and friends together for a evening of MTB racing, it's really cool to see all the kids get excited about the racing and have fun doing it.
     
  18. rodgerdodger

    rodgerdodger Member

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    These were pretty much my goals too. I didn't even get around 1 lap last week because of my derailleur getting torn off.

    1. Don't come in dead last... Check!
    2. Finish under an hour ... Check!

    I had a great time. Thanks for the beer Jojon:beer: And thanks Dino for showing up and getting us all up for this. It was really more fun than I would have thought, and I wouldn't have gone if you hadn't 'recruited' me.:clap: The big lesson I learned was to pace my clyde self on the climbs so I'm not spent on the downhills and singletrack.
     
  19. Rumpled

    Rumpled Longtime Newb

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    My experience in the last OTH race of the year.
    Last year I went and watched the second race and I got pretty jazzed watching it. This gave me the thought that maybe I'd give it a try this year. I rode a fair amount up until May and was getting ready to give it a go. Then I
    injured my thumb and doc said I'd be on the shelf until mid September or maybe October. I was pretty bummed out by that.

    I went and watched about half of the races supporting some friends and wishing I could give it a go. I finally got my cast off and could move my thumb a bit, so thought I'd give the last race a go. A few of my other friends were also going to try it for the first time. This would be my first bike race ever; though I did do a few tri's back in the 80's. Oh, and racing Robbie Welin home in high school doesn't count.

    I bailed on work a bit early to get there and get registered and get my self ready. That's when I noticed that I forgot my shoes. In the hurry of packing up at lunch, I had left my shoes in the garage. I didn't forget the beer, though. So, I'd have to ride in lightweight hiking boots. It shouldn't be too bad as I have the toestrap pedals on instead of the clipless. I took only a short spin with my friends to warm up and we headed back to the staging
    area. The last of my friends, Eric shows up without his bike. He forgot the key to the lock where his bike is locked up in the back of his truck. Oh well, he had enough beer to get by while we raced. Ran into super cheerleader Dino and he was taking pics and asking if I was ready, nervous etc. I wasn't nervous; I just watned to give it a try and hopefully finish and not last; second to last would be good for me.

    The race started and I got stuck behind a bunch of B4's. I thought B3 and B4 were starting together, so I was at the back of the B4's. Soon enough I got around them and hit the course in dead last for the B3's. I tried to maintain an easy pace, but that race adrenaline kicks in and soon I'm actually working hard - or is that sucking wind? Can't tell yet. I hit the first climb and get my answer - sucking wind! I hadn't ridden more than 200 yards since early June and now I'm feeling it bad. I've got my cheapo HRM on and it hits 168. Since I've had the HRM my highest has been 154. 168 would be 96% of my max by using the simple, inaccurate calculation; so my ticker's pretty much on redline.

    As I climb this hill ever so slowly, the B4's are passing me like crazy. Calls of "on your left" and "on your right" everywhere - sometimes both at once. One guy passing squeezes me a bit much, making a hole where there wasn't one; but everyone else was much more civil. My friend Dave passed me and I thanked him for at least waiting for the first couple of turns to do so. Still on the climb and now the ladies and juniors are passing me. There are still a few B3's and B4's near me - so chances of not being DFL do still exist. In the single track past the lake turn a kid calls out "on your left". I laughed and told him good luck with that. He'd have to wait for a spot wider than brush on both sides of my bars to make a pass. I was hoping to make it a lap or so before getting lapped, but before I even got back to the start area the pros and experts started passing me. I just couldn't believe how fast those guys were. I hadn't done half a lap and they've done 1 1/2. It felt pretty demoralizing, even if they did have a few minutes' head start.

    I crossed the lake and the next short climb and around the corner along the long straightaway. I was feeling a little better here; but getting some pain in my hand and my heart rate was staying in the 150's. I was trying to not be in the way of all of the experts and sports passing my now. Turned the corner and hit the steep climb. This one didn't feel as bad as the first one, maybe it was because I was finally warmed up a bit. One guy passing asked if I wanted a rope. I told him no, I might just hang myself with it.

    Got to the top of the climb and just basically coasted down the hill, again trying to stay out of the way of everyone passing me. I needed the recovery from my climbing exertion. After the steep downhill by the waterfall/cascade I saw a rider below me in the bushes off the course. Actually, I saw a spinning tire first and then a person underneath the bike on some bushes. I heard laughter and decided they must be alright if they were laughing. Later, I found out it was my friend Cori; I didn't even recognize here under the bike. At least I passed her, even if it did take her crashing.

    I had to HAB a few little portions on the rest of the course; mostly sandy, steep uphills right after a turn in the singletrack. I always have problems with those and it was worse on this day as I was sucking wind and having to dab
    occassionally. Then, my boots made it harder to get back in the toeclips. This caused me to lose even more momentum. I got a bit more egoslapped here as the pros passed me yet again! So, they were finishing their third lap before I finished my first. Some of this singletrack was a little wider and I was riding in the dead and dying brush to let
    them by. I got a lot of calls of thanks from those passing me as well as directions of where and when they were going. I also let them know to go as I saw more room to give them a line ahead of me.

    I pulled alongside the lagoon to finish my first lap knowing it was also my last lap. My thumb was hurting me a bit, not from more damage - just from being used more than it had been in three months. That, and I was truly gassed, my heart was pegging in the 150's most of the time and hit the 160's a few times. I also wasn't looking forward to that broken asphalt climb again, it kicked my rear like a big Bishop mule.

    I pulled into the finish chute and went to announce my DNF. I wasn't the first finisher like some might have thought; I was DFL! (just like it says on my jersey as shown in Dino's pic). Just about 35 minutes for one lap. I then went and found my friend Eric to unburden some of his load of beer and watch the rest of the race.

    Looking back on it, I'm glad I did the race (even though my doc might disagree). I was sorely out of shape from not riding for the summer. Other than the one guy passing very tight everyone on course was very cool. The course had a few spots that were tougher than I thought it was going to be. Preriding woulda helped that, but I didn't have time and pretty much only had one lap in me anyways. Some people did need to shut it down in the finish chute though. Maybe posting a marshall right there to remind everyone would be good. My friends Cori and Chris didn't finish last in their divisions; so their goals were achieved. We grabbed some beers and hung out and shot the breeze awhile and watched the results and then finally went home.

    I plan to return to race next year.

    And in the fall if they do that - they should!

    A few of us also think this would be a good place for a night race and maybe even an endurance race. Like a 6 hour or a 12 hour or god forbid a 24 hour. Don't know if the lake would have an open weekend day to do that last one though.

    Thanks to everyone for putting this series on; it was fun watching and riding.
     

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