CX Season Update

[pcollins]

Hi guys, just thought I give a quick update on my CX season so far. Sorry I haven’t been writing race reports. After a long road season of writing them regularly, and with school, I just don’t feel like spending the time and mental energy on them anymore. I’ve been writing short recaps in my Strava race descriptions if you want to follow along.

Overall, the season has been up and down (also literally, #crashing), with some decent results but I still haven’t obtained that elusive and valuable UCI point, a season goal. On 22 October I made the solo trip down to Washington DC to race DCCX. If there was ever a race where I had a good shot at a UCI point, it was this one, as I was predicted ~13th (points go 10 deep in C2s). I had a good start and was top 10 ~half a lap in. Disaster struck when I took a bad line in a very fast corner. I went flying off a root and crashed hard. I knew something was wrong with my hand/arm immediately, as it was very painful and difficult to hold the handlebar.
I fought back to 12th place but I crashed again ~ halfway through when a big gust of wind (it was insanely windy) blew tape into my handlebars, taking me down on my hand again. On the last lap, with only a few minutes left, I could barely handle my bike and went down again on my hand/wrist. I finished the race (16th). Long-story-short, I fractured my radius (near the wrist) and I’ll be sidelined until early December. It’s my first legit injury from cycling. The pain, swelling and bruising was very bad.
I spent the night alone in a hotel room (after going to the hospital) and drove 7 hours home the next day with one arm... it was a pretty dark time for me.

I’ve thought a lot about crashing and racing in general since then. I’m beginning to think that crashes really do come in “waves”, like Ryan Trebon once said. You can go a whole road season without crashing and then in span of a few races you crash 6 times, most of them pretty serious and painful. I think that it was mostly bad luck, and perhaps I was taking more risks than I normally would to get a UCI point, but I’m not so sure of that, because in general, despite the serious crashes, I think I’ve raced more “conservatively” in the corners this year compared to previous years, as I have experienced what can happen if you push the limits too far.
Was I really crashing more than normal, or were the crashes just more serious? I believe it’s the latter, and I also believe it’s due to doing more UCI races, as the courses are more difficult (the consequences of crashing on a slow grass corner in a local race are much different than crashing on a pro-only line with 5 guys around you) and the competition is cutthroat.

I’ve been pretty bummed out that I’ve missed some really great races like NoHo and it’s been tough trying to maintain fitness on the trainer. I’m looking forward to my return to racing. The plan is to be back for NBX, maybe a few local races, and then Nationals.

[KTeves]

I was thinking the same thing earlier for my own situation and others this season . . . crashes come in 'waves.' The DCCX was definitely not the time when you wanted to crash having driven down there solo (not that you ever want to crash, obviously). Kudos to you for doing that in the first place, and double kudos for dealing with the aftermath of the crash by your lonesome. Here's to a speedy recovery and good luck with the rest of the CX season.

[JeremyC]

I spent the night alone in a hotel room (after going to the hospital) and drove 7 hours home the next day with one arm... it was a pretty dark time for me.

Alone in a hotel room after a shitty day. Get ready for the business world....

[MarkMiller321]

I've "daydreamed" of having to drive home with a broken bone. I've got a few positions in the car planned for the collarbone! Knock on wood! Rest up Patrick! You'll be crushing it again in no time!

Mark

[cbusick]

Think about how nice and fresh and recovered you'll be for NBX

[pcollins]

Thanks Mark and KT.

Chris, I guess that's one way of looking at how much fitness I've lost