Winter Wonderland Psychocross

Saturday Night...Thermal undershirt, thermal longsleeve, jersey, armwarmers, bibs, tights, two pairs of wool socks, bike gloves, ski gloves, balaclava, skull cap...Ok, now I was willing to exit the confines of the warm cosy, womb like confines of my truck. Fifty minutes till start time and 21 degrees...What the hell was I thinking. I exited the truck and immediately returned to put my super-warm Pearl Izumi jacket courtesy of Skoshi...And then, still cold, shivered over to the registration table to give the maniacally grinning Scott Hubbard my $17.00 and racing license. Then I jumped on the bike and rode a few laps to preview the course and warm up. Let me tell you, you do not warm up in 20 degree weather. The preview was worth it however. Despite Jamie's heroics in lighting the course with industrial floodlights, there was an icy section of single track through the woods that had nothing but the full moon (beautiful, but not conducive to high speed racing), and a barrier section that I didn't see until my buddy Eric who was in front got a mouthful of gravel and handle bars. The packed ice and snow also made handling a bit "interesting".

The race itself felt like Europe (If I knew what Europe felt like). It was just a blur of stinging cold air, camera flashes, cowbells and hoots and hollers...Absolutely amazing. I think that I turned in one of my better efforts after a bad start, but the grand plan was to warm-up in the B race and then go for cash in the A's. Since there were only 16 A's registered, and since the money went twenty places deep....Well....

Anyway, my plan fell apart as soon as I entered the Tove Shere Hospitality Suite & Warming Tent and began to thaw out. Every extremity imaginable flooded with fresh blood that until then was pooled to preserve vital organs, and I collapsed in a blubbering heap of pain. By now the temps dropped down to 16, and no way was I going out there...Not even for all of five bucks. Game over.

Photos to come. Law finals...two weeks. Panic sets in...But first...NM Cyclocross Championships...Sunday Morning, December 2nd...Hyder Park....Six blocks South of Nob Hill, between Welsley and Richmond. Will also have itty-bitty kids race and Bump & Thump (think demolition derby on cross bikes).

It's Movie Time

Racing with the Prince (artist formerly known as?) at US Grand Prix of Cyclocross.
http://www.cyclofile.com/2007/11/mercer-cup-usgp-cyclocross-nj.html

...And now, for some local New Mexico action. That had to hurt...Yeah, stretch those legs boy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3hLXmZzuZc

I did the same thing that very day, but on the first barrier. Sadly, no video...So, you just have to settle for Brad.

A fun crosser pic from 06...I'm riding my old nag of a converted MTB...My first ever cross race.

...Yes there is usually sand...

...But it only hurts for an hour.

It is done...Almost.

Waddled over to the start line on Sunday, tired and sore, not fast...Still, rode smooth, had no crashes, one minor bobble in the stream crossing (cold, wet, muddy...typical cross stuff) and rode my way into 10th place...Got my one point.

Wednesday, turned in my open memo, done with Legal Research, Reasoning and Writing. Went out for a training ride and then drank lots of beer afterwards...Now I realize that I have other classes. Well, back to the salt mine.

Saturday's Race is at Rio Bravo Park. There is a big hill in the middle of the field from which you can watch the entire race...Fun! Sunday's race is at Dennis Chavez Park; tons of steep climbing with deep grass there...not fun...painful. That's it, except for State Champs no more cross for another year...Back to triathlon.

...And yes, I still say the Silverman types are special kind of sick...Cross hurts, but only for an hour.

Crashy McCrasherstein.

300 meters...four crashes. Yep that is new one for me...They weren't even the technical ones, the ones where you try to ride something really hard and keep coming off. Nope, definitely nothing like that. Today was the first day of Los Vecinos weekend in Tijeras, an annual cyclocross extravaganza that is just as much fun to watch as it is to race. So there I am on the second to the last lap, and I'm about to catch a group of riders and make it a race. Well, I focus on the guy at the end of the group, went into a tricky (not hard) chicane, clipped a pedal and went down. Remounted, hit the next very easy chicane, and went down again. Then, I managed to do it again on a gravel patch, and then again when I missed a line and hit a rut. For good measure I managed to repeat the trick one more time 50 meters before the finish in a hard turn on some grass. That is five crashes, and all onto my left shin...There is no skin there now. Tomorrow I'll try it again...Hope to keep dermatological damage to minimum.

Oh, and thanks to NMCross for the coffee and cookies and hot chocolate and bagels and burritos and orange juice and donuts...Wait, are they trying to make everyone else fat and slow? I'll ask when I waddle to the start line tomorrow morning.