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).
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6 comments:
that.
is crazy.
"If I knew what Europe felt like"
You grew up in a small European town that had ski lifts in your back yard--how could you not know what a COLD Euorpean night would feel like?
Oh--I get it.
You're still hinting at cyclocross championships in winter, in Europe, aren't you??? :)
I mean the cowbells, whistles, hoots, camera flashes, excitable local denizens...The works. The only thing missing were the beer and frites...My hometown had no frites.
p.s. - your cyclocross buddy (maybe he is, maybe he isn't) patrick morrissey teaches a spin class at Del Norte S&W on tuesdays at noon.
Just sayin'....
Dang that sounds fun. You almost have me convinced. Bet you triathlon cycling
will be allot better this year.
Dang, now I have to build another cross bike for next fall. Sure is a lot of fun isn't it?
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