Thursday, 9 August, 62 years after Nagasaki
Few of us get our allotted 15 minutes of fame and glory in one big chunk. Kerry got a fraction of his portion this week in the Mt. Shasta Herald after dropping the field at the Mt. Shasta hillclimb:
http://www.mtshastanews.com/articles/2007/08/08/sports/sports01.txt
Kind of balances out all you flatlander bloggers scared away by the big hills at Pacific Raceways.
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7 comments:
http://camrobblog.blogspot.com/2007/08/barr-vs-rider-ranking-points.html
More support for the WSBA points rankings.
And - even though it was BBQ night, making it to PR for up the S-Curves ranks somewhere below alphabetizing my CDs.
You big wuss, and so is Rory he changed the course to the Escape Route
I think Rory would make more money if he ran things a little differently. I love the 3 race format (1/2/3, 4/5, Masters) but I think the course variety is a little too demanding for some people for an after-work effort. If he doubled the flats nights and offered up 3 primes a night for $10 he'd get better racing and much better attendance. I haven't done PIR, but I think that's there general format.
Half the guys who go down there do it for fun or to avoid doing intervals. It's just not fun on most nights involving the S's (up or down). It generally shatters the field because of the discrepancy in ability out there. Even when I'm in the break or 1st chase I usually just go home early because the fun is gone - especially for the Cat 3s I'm trying to help out.
I guess you missed all the conversations at the beginning of the seasons lamenting how Rory sold out to flatlander economics and hardly ever uses the hillier courses at PR. I'd say it's not fun on most nights on the flats....and the training (in a training race, mind you) isn't as good.
I did miss it - I know Pru commented about hating the flats, but then Pru is the only guy who complains more than me.
I have no trouble making PR flats a good workout. If you're content to just sit in and think it's a bad workout - well of course. I race PR because it's fun and a lot of guys who can't handle the 7:00 at Seward can make it through hour with the group. I don't think the escape routes are a bad option (esp down it) - some breaks go and that's cool, but the S's usually result in a broken up mess of a race. Last time we did down the S's, the biggest group left on the course was ~8 guys. What's the point of that?
Flats, with Oberto primes is boring - agreed. Add some perks and impetus for a breakaway and the racing will be more active.
Hrm, I feel the opposite -- I was pleasantly surprised that PR wasn't just a flat loop the first couple of times I did it, it made the racing more exciting for me. The flats, meh, not so much. Especially, like you said, with points or oberto as primes.
I think there the Escape Route options in both directions make for good racing. They add enough of a hill to be challenging without completely shattering it the field. I would expect the training benefit to be quite good for those routes since you are pushed real hard, but not so much that you pop and ride at a tourist pace (which seems to happen a lot).
Add the S's in either direction and it's no so much a matter of breaks getting away as it is the field getting shredded. For my money (granted I race free), I'll stay home for the S's and do my own hill repeats.
I'll see you all out there tomorrow if I can work out a ride back North. Marfa can get me to PR, but he's from Federal Way and I need to make it back to the 405 corridor...anyone?
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