Oooo ooo wind...

The wind is singing a song to me,
Oooo ooo wind, the wind is singing a song.

That's what was bouncing around inside my head this am. The ride in was good. It let me know, i'm hurting. Yesterday's race i left it all on the course. And i think i left too much on the first lap, although i should have been able to dig a bit more at one spot, should have, needed too... didn't.

I dunno how i managed it but i went into the first turn there in about 8th place... and it was down hill from there. slowly, slowly, drifting back, how far i'm not sure yet. I didn't check the results before i left, so i'm at the mercy of bike-reg and the promoters. Looks like we'll never get the final results for Southington. Kind of a bummer.

So i just finished editing the shots... hoping to get them up here in a second.

Once again day before race found me freaking spent. Rushing around shopping then cooking, with the littlest stresses of family up visiting and all that. Party later, enchilada cookoff (mine were pretty good). I was tired. But hung at the party while the oldest daughter and wife went to the school party. me and littlest again... very cool...

Enough about that - but it did leave me pretty cooked but wound up. Dunno what it is, moon, or something but i couldn't sleep saturday night. Rest did not come easily. Woke up early, went to b-fast with mom and two of my bros. Had a different meal pre-race. Worked? I dunno, i wasn't hungry during the race. Shoulda had some more water/gatorade pre-race. Me thinking water'd be better pre-race, cause the mucus was a wee bit thick and gatoradish...

Warm up, again was not optimal, but the dismounts, remount practicing/drills pre-start warmed me up better than riding in circles...

The start, worked out okay. My wife said i pissed off a few, but i was a pinball at the first part of the start, guy fell into me from the left, i bounced to the right, got shoved back to the left and somehow found a hole and seemingly effortlessly drifted to the front few by the crest, i eased into the turn and like i said - around 8th... hung on to the wheel of the BOB guy in the race who i didn't know (we need jerseys that are that distinctive) through the back grass. Was feeling pretty good but was also riding blind. I had not ridden the course. Just got word from Kerry about and Cronoman about the course. Stuck with the Baldy tires, but later post race thinkin the Vreds woulda been better... First time over the barriers i was pretty clean, bottomed out on each of the two big frost heaves on the first lap cause i was sitting blindly on a wheel... no flat though... dat good... consistently made up ground on the little up hill transition was picturing doing a Sacha (vanilla reference, me the fool) on the downhill transition. That big fucking rock on the left side of the course took me out one of the laps... didn't feel like bunny hopping the little barriers (team made did and ate shit in the noon race it turns out)... the Run up, LOVED it. The one transitioning back up to the track. Woot that was sweet... i generally was the fastest in the group of folks i was with up it. Johaness's insight into shouldering and the couple suggestions he made, helped a wicked damn amount. That bike was on the shoulder and he's fucking bang on. Its way faster to carry the bike than to push the rig. My remounts felt great. Cruising around the track i sometimes caught up to people, sometimes got caught. was definately the wheel that got sucked the most in the course... it was like people rode up to me, sat on my wheel for 100-300 meters then blew past... i wonder why... farking wheel suckers...

So i rode the course TT style... pushin me at my limit, unfortunately Marro hit me (as he helped me recall) just after i doinked the rear wheel on the barrier in the back fields (my one technical fuckup on the running sections) and i dropped the chain... i was sort of on so i was able to shift it back on, but as i did that 10 people when past... and i was demoralized i a touch, then seeing the monster i couldn't push the legs hard enough to stay on his wheel... i tried... kept contact as long as i could... it helped... kinda helped me get over the woops dropped a chain.

But at least i wasn't like the Union Velo (I think) guy curled up in a fetal position in the double woop first right hand turn in the field. First lap we came around and he was curled up with the bike on top of himself, after the 180 there were 5-6 guys more stacked up. Freaking bonus brilliant jackpot for me getting a sweet start.

Did a keiren style pushing match coming through the mud behind the horse pens when a dude said "on your left" as i'm riding the clean line... fuck no i'm not gonna move over to the muck... he was pissed... more cause 1 he couldn't push me out of the way 2 i didn't get out of the way and 3 he was riding in the sticks... *shrug* you wanna go around you go around...

The wind kinda sucked, it just sort of made the grass feel slow. I finally found a faster line in the grass by the final lap. And i was shocked when we came around and they said "3 to go" 3? that's it? ONLY 3? crap. It was prolly good cause i did just about make my self puke trying to clear some mucus at one point... I added a few more scars to the ankles... But i left EVERYTHING on the course. everything. Woulda been nice to have one or two longer running sections, a long stairs or something... but it was all cool. And know i know why pro's take their foot out on the inside... twice i should have but managed to save it without - putting the foot down woulda been faster...

It was good. I made progress. My mother got to see me race. And it was fun. Hard, very very hard. But fun. My legs are absolutely killin me. But i think that's a good thing. gonna let the commute work out the miles. Gonna be sprinting home to make pizza, and tomorrow, sprinting home to set up for trick-or-treat... Should be good times... will have to pre-reg for next week at some point as well.

First image at the start... i think i look goofy but my wife doesn't (that's Jack, in the white helmet, co-owner of The Hub).


In G-ster in the killer Bs i wasn't so much a head taller than everyone else... Canton in the B-maters... well... different story... unfortunately (for me)

Okay - first view by the spectators:

and then the baby barriers:

Wheel sucking 101:
What happens when ya sit on GeWilli's wheel for 300+ meters:
ARRRGGGGGGG suckit g-dog ya need speed or brains... or maybe both

Okay - check this series out... my favorite part of the course, doing the supa fly downtube grab, no speed loss... couple bike lengths behind the dude pushing his bike up

That's me, flying past... look at those calfs... there's gotta be about 5% body fat in that beanpole by now:

Close up of said calf... just imagine the definition if i shaved!

Time to finish the race, dat's hannah in the pink... she works at the Hub, v.cool gal:

and the final parting ass shot...

Phew...

What a race...

Cyclocross is freaking awesome. Oh and my wife commented that the C men look like death after the first lap... And she's been around a few athletic competitions, those guys did look freaking wasted... like they were on a death march...

Oh and not nearly enough heckling going on... was C-turd even there? Oh and i'm feeling wicked left out... no KL post card for me *sniff* sniff... sob... woulda loved to stick around watched the B-boys and the elites race, but well family called, yall know the drill...

Peace, and no choco waffles...

But i did learn how syrup can be organic! Its about what they use to keep it all from boiling! Butter vs Canola Oil, and never get the canadian stuff cause they put formaldehyde in it (apparently) . Organic stuff uses canola oil instead of butter to prevent boilage. But you can remove all the butter, but not the canola oil. So all organic syrup has a trace of Canola oil in it. Why can't they use organic butter (that's what i was thinking anyway). Kinda funny too cause it turns out my wife just cataloged a Big Pork Fat Maple syrup gadget. Seems that back in the day they put a big ball of pork fat in this dipper thing and used that (instead of butter or canola oil) to prevent the boil-over.

Guessin i'll have to start researching who i buy maple syrup from... gotta find the farms that use butter.

(and no, no chance to make choco waffles yet... soon i hope... soon)

Oh and Yogurt boy seems to have taken to the ultimate throwdown New Years cross race... Maybe we need to do match races... and then one all out keirin style full contact race *smirk*

peace out...
G