The hardest one hour in any sport

I was invited to race as well as attend the Star Crossed cyclocross race in Seattle just a few weeks ago. This went a radical change in my training. I had planned on bit of a rest, then doing steady base miles. Nope that wasn’t going to be in the case. Soon after the invite to Star Crossed I’m was also invited to race in, as well as report on, the Grand Prix of Gloucester in Massachusetts. What’s cool about that trip is that I’ll be attending a cyclocross clinic taught by Tim Johnson. So my schedule is go to Interbike, work and party for four days, fly out of Vegas Friday night to Seattle, race Saturday and party at night, fly home Sunday morning. Then on Wednesday I fly to Boston for the Grand Prix of Gloucester. Then at the end of the month I fly to Idaho for five days for another cx race. Of course there is an after-party that I have to attend. I’d been doing some training on my Scott CX bike, but I figured I needed to race. Luckily for me there was a cyclocross race nearby that I could hone my skills, and by “skills” I mean that I don’t have any.

Aluminum frame and Ultegra and 105 equipped

I started at the back of the small 35+ field, determined not to crash too badly and screw up my Interbike week. As usual, the field took off like a rocket and I settled in at the middle of the pack. The first lap I brushed up against a telephone pole that you had to navigate around. Not too painful a bruise, I just looked a little uncoordinated as I bounced off the unvielding pole. From there on out I took a more conservative approach to my turning. I used the “tripod” style of cornering, stick my leg out, lean and hope no one runs it over. After 50 fun filled minutes I finished a solid 5th place with only minimal bleeding (shoulder and left ankle). Afterwards, I took down my BMC from the roof of my car and rode for two more hours. I can get a little obsessive compulsive about my training so I’m trying to train as hard as I can in a short period of time, realizing that Interbike is a complete waste for training. I am some what hopeful that I can at least run on a treadmill at the hotel. We’ll see how that goes…

Post-race hanging out

Post CX ride