Duluth Cross
Race 1: 8:15pm race under the lights. I couldn’t get motivated…I usually hit the sack at 10:00, so the idea of a late race wasn’t really my style. We raced on a cross country ski trail and it was super wet and muddy and pretty mountain-bikey – also not my style. I just sort of rolled around and finished 10th overall, 4th in 35+. I had 2 to go and I heard the bell ring a couple seconds after I went through the finish line…so I sat up and let the leader through so I didn’t have to do another lap..
Race 2: the course was more crossy and suited me a little better. I felt crusty this morning, but thanks to Houle for setting me up a with warm shower and soft bed last night..that was huge. The gun went off and the crust flew off and I settled into a second group. CJ was rocking as well and came by at one point and we worked together until he got a flat. It was me and another dude..he kept yelling at me in some foreign language on the flats.. I think he was asking me to pull through…4 laps to go we caught another guy and the pace heated up. The 2 guys I was with looked like they were young and not 35+ so with 1 lap to go and set up and let them battle it out…it ends up that the foreign guy was 35+…oh well. I rolled in 6th overall and 2nd in 35+.
Next year I’m going to Madison….
Wah
Lion of Fairfax/CCCX #2
So . . . Lion of Fairfax was a bust.
Total crash-fest! Four different people crashed in front of me during the 2.5 laps that I did complete, with the last one coming RIGHT in front of me on an short off-camber hill. I ran into the back of the dude and got myself a gnarly mechanical and eventually decided to cut my losses and drop out so that I still had some dry powder for CCCX #2. I was pretty bummed about it because I was going well. This was confirmed when I went to the official’s tent to let them know I didn’t finish and the ref responded, “that’s too bad, you were in third for a while.”
Damn. Not the way I wanted to celebrate my birthday.
On the upside, a few of my friends from work came to watch me race, which was totally awesome. They even made me this combo race/birthday sign:
Ray/Masha/Alex/Elissa/Danai: You all rule. Thanks a bunch, and hopefully next time I’ll be able to give you a better show.
I was able to turn it around at CCCX #2 and finished 2nd again (to a different guy this time around). The CCCX crew did great job with this one and I got to thank them for putting together another great course to race on. If you’re ever out this way I recommend dropping by Monterey and sampling the ‘cross goodness.
Also, check out this super sweet video of the start of the Men’s C race. You can just see me go over the barriers on the drive-side of the neon green Kona. I’m up front because I actually got a call-up today.
CCCX #2 Fort Ord (Day Camp) C Race
Originally uploaded by SWoo
Awesome!
-Nick in SF
Yo bitches.
I just sent the last of kick-off-kits. I hope it don’t give you the shits. Cuz, hommies it’s the real deal. A regular meal. Something you can feel. You dig? Cuz bitches, I am the king of t-shirt crap. The best on the map. The rest suck sap, need a nap. Now, G, you live in the home of the Twins and you aint got your stuff? Don’t give me no gruff. I don’t like that stuff. Might as well go huff. You gotta get it from me, G. You see? Be a busy-bee. Swing by, grab your duds. We’ll drink suds. I aint racing no Duluth this weekend. Its time for this pimp to chill in his casa. Eat some pasta. Act like a Rasta. So, we gotta work out another date. Don’t be late. Or you’ll hate. That I sold your gear on ebay. Now go away. FPA. PS…..I have larges left. Lots of ‘em. $10 each. $15 if I’m shipping. $25 if I’m shipping two together… But PLEASE, get these outta my basement. Some people wanted smalls (Will + The Pope for example). Shall we print more?I need to confirm 10 people would commit to another run of tees to make it worth our while.EMAIL ME YOUR SIZE AND QUANTITY>>> peetanderson@yahoo.com
Mmmmmm……..Porkchop
I have to admit, I had some pre-race butterflies on Sunday. My shiny new cross bike had less than 100 miles on it and the six pack I downed with my Uncle Bob at his lake place the night before was still rattling around in my head. Erik Paulsen and I rolled a couple of warm up laps at an easy pace and got to deal with actual barriers for the first time. Off the bike…jump…run….jump…back on the bike. Cool. It isn’t pretty… but it works. What’s that gonna be like at race pace?
We checked in with our cheering squad/pit crew (a.k.a. – wife and kids) and lined up rather unceremoniously for our first cross start. Sweeeeeeet. Off we go! The pace was pretty hot off the line and I was fine letting the front of the pack walk away. My goal was simply to ride strong and steady and try to figure this whole wacky cross thing out. Erik dropped his chain less than two minutes in. Bummer. One lap down…survived the barriers and run up’s. Two laps down…figured out how to shoulder the bike. Three laps down…now I’m racing. Nice. I started picking people off and pushed it hard to the end. It was an awesome first day crossin’. 19th overall, 16th Mens 4 – I’m hooked.
Mike C.
Porkchop!
As Jarock mentioned in his write up, the pace was insane from the word go. I had trouble getting clipped in (WTF) at the start and found myself way in the back when we hit the long straightaway. I spent the whole race trying like hell to get caught up, but I never really got anywhere. Halfway through the race I hooked up with Mikey P, so nice to roll with a teammate when you are struggling like hell. Pmax reeled me in and raced me to the line on the last lap. I thought he was lapping me, turns out he flatted and it was for a position. He nipped me at the line but the officials scored me ahead of him cause I’m better looking.
It was good to see everyone again. See you guys Sat night in Duluth.
cj