Cross the Way #4 Race Report

I'm in pain. I hurt. Mud got thicker. Course did not get easier, quite the contrary. I'm ready for gears now (though the cleanup would have been more involved). I don't think I ate right last night. I think I had too many glasses of wine. I didn't eat enough today. Maybe something else bad happened. I can't tell.

Started out in second, behind Troy. Stuck with him until the hill (long runup for me). Then he rode away. I was in second through most of the second lap, but again, on the run-up I was passed by Ryan. I was hurting. Fortunately, the Jeremy's were way off the back, saving themselves for the single speed race. I'm not really into that sort of thing, but I guess I understand why they did it. The course was brutal. The mud had turned into something worse than mud. It was like mud on acid. Actually, it's funny I mentioned that because right around the top of the 5th lap, I started to hallucinate. Literally. When I'm over the top, pushing too hard I get this little strobe light type blip in the middle of my vision and I know I need to chill or I will pass out in a mud puddle and asphyxiate before anyone even notices I'm missing. It was a long lap. The single speed riders probably wouldn't have even noticed me laying dead in a puddle.

Let me bring this narrative back together. It's the second lap and Ryan's riding away from me, Troy's in his own race, Jeremy N's already dropped out (again) and Jeremy C is chilling (like I should have been). They had more than enough gas to mix it up in the Single Speed race.  Here they are on their matching Bianchi's.  Like Brothers from different Mothers.

So I keep pedaling and trying to ride hard even though I'm way behind and way ahead and basically by myself. 5th lap I start to feel like shit. I'm walking two long sections because they're too muddy and two super long hills because they're too steep and wishing I had some freakin' gears and thinking about Burger King and getting some TBRA points and basically walking to keep from dying. It sucked. I came around and finished and immediately got a beer and some candy and mooched a granola bar. Here's a picture of me happily eating and watching the Single Speed/Junior race (I once again skipped the Single Speed Race). Max Gander's in the forefront. He's the only junior and he slayed the 4's coming in 3rd. His father, Wolfgang, is responsible for all these photos.

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So I've yet to ride back to back. Yet to do a Single Speed race this year. 60 minutes is a long time. I wish I was tougher than I am, but I'm not.

Melissa Hudson-Grant and Brian Grant put these races on, they're super cool and I'm very thankful they do what they do. Brian got out and raced today which was only fair since he laid out this sadistic, messed up course. Here they are in action:

Great scene again today.  Sun was shining, people were in good spirits.  Not a ton of racers but a nice day for a race.  Today was the first day I actually thought I needed to consider giving in to gears.  I should probably decide before I get a road bike, might be able to kill two birds with one stone on that one.

Also, just realized that October saw 18 posts; a new personal record.  November will be light as I'm headed out on the road with the band until Thanksgiving.  Next race is in December (maybe).  January is the second season, things may pickup then.