BTW Day

The ride home on Friday (bike to work day) was actually pretty amazing. The rains parted long enough for the trailered ride home. And heading south along the EBBP I noticed something kinda cool. Some baby swans cruising the shallows. So I did what any good nature loving dad would do. I stopped. Dug out the camera, unbuckled my passenger and we watched them eat and swim around for a bit. One of the parents was pretty actively attacking the Canadian geese that were swimming around the area. At first they weren't real happy that I stopped and started watching. But those geese did enough distracting that we got some good shots and had an awesome moment watching them eat.





I would write a full report about the Grind but - Thom did such a great job at capturing the essence of the course, well. Just read his report.

CCC the sandbagger of fame and fortune from Gloucester (MA) has a count down clock for the start of cross. I'm still undecided if it is a good thing to start racing that early. But the lean is towards- race cross at all costs when ever you can, despite the fact that it just feels wrong to consider racing in what is more or less most often the hottest month of the year (based on no scientific data - hot month that is). I still strongly desire racing here to match the seasons across the pond. There is a solid essence of cyclocross that works well with adverse winter conditions. Suffering in a cross race at 80°F is part of racing no doubt, and doesn't diminish from certain elements of the discipline, and certainly makes the promoter's job easier, and the spectator's comfort higher... but... call me what ever ya want, I really prefer the most adverse conditions possible for racing cross. Wet, cold, both... windy rainy snowy... it brings elements of bike handling and balance and line picking that I love. I may not be any faster in those races, may not place any higher but I'm not a pro. Crossing the line first isn't my goal. Racing give me meaning to be rather silly and honest. It fills something, a need. The results sheet and bikereg and all that are nice testaments to see where my best stacked up against other's best. And ultimately, it goes on to provide a benchmark for what follows. I'm not a pro. Not even a successful amateur (if you measure success as some people do with prize money and 'W's). But I enjoy it immensely.

If we ever get the honor of having the big V show up here in New England, I'ma gonna throw that tall guy a big old GeWilli pizza party, in his honor. Everyone is invited. Enough of an invitation to get him to the East Coast? Maybe, maybe not. But hey it is out there. We gotta figure out some way of getting these mud spoiled PacNW cross racers some good New England racing toughness in them.

My lunch of cold left over home made pizza is finished. As is now, finally, this entry.

heddwch
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