22.09.09 - JCF#6: Stiff in Fujimi
Fujimi is a popular location for mountain bike races this year. This is the second JCF Series race here, as well as the National Championships and other fun riding events. I wasn't allowed to race the National Championships and the last race here was muddy and I was injured. So my aim was to have a fun race and finish in the top 5, maintaining my series lead.
Part of the 'fun factor' involved running rigid forks. Bontrager's carbon Switchblade fork. While being harsh, they did feel great on the climbs. Not just because they're 500 grams lighter, but because they're a bit shorter than 100mm suspension forks. So they dipped the front end lower and made for better climbing and more responsive steering. Having a light front end also made popping the front over obstacles easy. So performance was also improved on some sections. I just had to make sure I held on tight on the downhills!
Fun would also be affected by the weather. We all wanted a dry course so we didn't have to run half of it like the last two races. The forecast was for rain, at about 2pm. This was when our race started! It would be close. 'Giri Giri' as the Japanese would say.
After spending the last month with bad health and bad legs, I wasn't sure whether I'd have any strength to go up the steep climbs on Fujimi Panorama. They're the steepest in the series. I was also worried about cramps. I didn't want a repeat of the World Championships last month. So I went crazy with eating right, stretching, resting, and doing the small things like taking salt tablets to help with cramps. Perhaps panic mode or deperation...
After a sleep-in and packing, my team mates Yu and Ken joined me for a pasta with olive oil (our usual) at Shun's house. Shun's a local and this is his training ground too. We then went up the mountain to about 1000 metres to face the wrath of Fujimi Panorama and it's steep, grassy uphills and rooty and rocky downhills.
Everyone in our team seemed happy and confident the rain would hold off. Niki San, our great mechanic, got our bikes dialled, tyres set, and spare wheels ready to go (with mud tyres). My warm up was good, but not too good ('too good' is often a bad sign). I was called up first and chose a good spot on the start line. I was keen and content.
From the gun, I got the lead and led the race up the hill. I was suprised to get a gap, even though I thought I was holding back. On the descent though, I went all out. I held them off and led the whole first lap and a half, before Tsujiura joined me. It was a close race on a fast course. Nobody was ever far away from someone else. So it was important not to make any mistakes or lose time. Without gels and after missing a feed, I was worried I'd lose energy, so I made sure I drunk all I had. And I ensured I paced myself.
After my recent bad form, I wasn't confident I could maintain a high pace. I tried my best though, and by the 7th time up the main climb I was in 3rd. The young Seya passed me the lap before and I made the mistake of letting him go, thinking he'd blow up. He finished between Tsujiura and I. The always solid Tsujiura winning 45 seconds ahead of me. My team mates weren't far behind - Yu 4th, Shun 5th, and Ken 6th. We maintained our team series lead.
I was content that I felt healthy and didn't cramp. And I was please to have actually enjoyed the race. It was perfect weather, my bike worked perfectly (thanks Niki San), the crowd was great, and the course here was the best yet. More motivation to keep building for the next race in Sena in a month.
