Fourth Time's A Charm? Not Quite.

For some reason I was under the assumption that with more racing, you are supposed to get better. This, rather unfortunately, has not really been the case for me and cyclocross...yet. I still remain hopeful.
On Sunday morning the weather was cold but dry, the bike was tuned, the Racer-X cheering/heckling crew was ready and waiting, but I had apparently forgotten one very important thing...my mojo. From the minute I knew I would be starting at the very back of the pack of 55 girls, I lost the "Eye of the Tiger". I really tried to tune my brain to the station that was playing my suggested theme song, but ALAS, all I could find was a Golden Oldies station...and so the race went.

Verge Series - Sterling Day 2 (for the show)

If you look close - you'll see one X'er (Rob) catching another (Dave)

After a great race on Day 1 of Sterling, part of the Verge New England Cyclocross Championship Series - I was ready to test the legs on this cold morning, Day 2 of the weekend. I've had a good track record of doing a little better on day 2 of 2 day race weekends, but felt old and tired Sunday Morning. Perhaps it's because us amateur CAT3 folks get grouped with the 'elite juniors', like Nate Morse - who train on the heavy hitting C.L. Noonan / Corner Cycle squad - which happens to turn out whole families National Contenders, like the Keoughs! Or perhaps that I'm just old.

Another Sterling Performance

So another race is in the bag. In the history books. In the toy box. In the cheese filled balloon. Or whatever. It was cold, it was early, and it was fun. I felt better than I did last week, but still lacking some oomph. I've ordered some oomph online, but with the holidays, I won't probably won't have it until later this year. Then there's some potential compatibility issues and I'm not sure if I'm going to have to upgrade the whole system. With my performance circling the drain, I've decided to focus on something that I have a bit more control over, and I'm just going to focus on looking good. And damn, I nailed that.

Verge Series - Sterling Day 1 (for the money)

So much for the fabulous crossresults.com rankings - where I've worked through some good results and usually am granted a decent start position... no, not in the Verge Series - where I've not done ANY of the races this year. Mid/back of the pack start position among the hooligans, degenerates, and singlespeeders (just kidding;)) was where I'd be - and would be working VERY hard to catch the elite end of this CAT3 / Junior Expert group. Can't everyone agree on a rankings system? No matter...

Helmet

How do you know when your helmet has done its job? When it's filled with dirt, rocks and grass after a crash. Despite Rob obviously sliding on his head, he still beat me!

Shedd Park - Part III

Jesus Christ on a bicycle.... that hurt. It was cold out, and I was strangely 'off' this past week, never feeling the pep like the week before. No less, family cheering section AND Racer-X crew were both out in full force, so let the game, er - race begin.

Shedd Park-Part Deux

I'm still trying to get a feel for Cyclocross. I thought I pretty much had everything all figured out after my second race...GO HARD. That's it. Just find your pain cave and suffer as much as you possibly can. My opinion on this hasn't really changed much, but I do think there is a bit more strategy involved if you want to place.

SHEDD Park

I'm in there somewhere...

I'm coming back from a miserable race performance two weeks ago at Applecrest Farms, and if I hadn't have thought that I could have done any worse, I was wrong. I lined up at the start of the Master's Cat 1-4 race with nothing in the tank. My brain was writing checks that my legs couldn't cash. I had brought a rubber chicken to a gun fight.

Investigation Cites Illiteracy, Bad Cooking, Possible Lack Of Oversight At Racer-X.

A new self-help book “One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish” has labeled Racer-X athlete Andy Nook both illiterate and a bad cook. When reached for comment the book’s author Dr. Theodor S. Geisel cited doctor/patient confidentiality in refusing to answer questions regarding these explosive allegations. However, anonymous sources claiming to be close to the situation and identifying themselves only as Two Hump Whump and Yink, have relayed what they experienced during Andy’s recent session with Dr. Geisel:

“We took a look. We saw A Nook. On his head he had a hook. On his hook he had a book. On his book was ‘How to Cook.’”

Plymouth Day 2 - CRUSHED IT!

After 3 years of racing 'cross - I finally sprinted to a win. I have not been so worked over, cracked, cramped, ready to puke in a mighty long time. It felt, in a word - sublime. It takes a lot of work, as you all know - to train, balance life, family, work, money, responsibilities for us amateurs - and not that I do it to win, place or show - but shit! What a thrill.

After an OK start, from the back, no less - I started picking guys off, right away. I was going to turn myself inside out to NOT let the 15 year old phenom - Nate (?) get away so easily this fine, cool, cloudy day. After 1/2 a lap, it was him out front, and me - planted on his wheel. We opened up a good gap in the first 2 laps, working together. I had said something like "lets work together and see if we can stick it for the win", and that was the plan. Well, provided I had the gas in the tank and could ride my bike smart...

Plymouth CX - Day 1

Short and *cough* sweet report:

I woke up feeling amazingly crusty - though rested, from a full nights sleep. With wife and kid out of town for the weekend, the house is too damned quiet. But I did sleep. After a crazy week last week, I wound up sick and blowing crap out of my nose these last few days. Funny - I think that happened last time I was about to be left alone! It's some devious plot, I'm sure...

...none the less, I do not have brain cancer or any other serious ailments to complain about - so I ate, hydrated and CAFFEINATED like crazy. Still sore 4 hours after waking up, I popped 2 Vitamin I as well (Advil, if you don't know the catchy lingo). Rolled into Salem, MA a wee bit early, so I headed over to an old favorite, Bagel World - as I needed more coffee, and a fresh bagel with cream cheese. Got 'em, headed over to the King St. residence of fellow CAT2/3/4 group hammer, J-Rock (and roll lately - he's been coming on strong!) and we loaded up the pimpin' Chevy Geo Toyota Corrolla Old Guy Tie Salesman team car with a full quiver of KHS bikes.

(photo from LAST years' Plymouth CX Race)

Weekend Filler: T6 Socks On The Run in Dave's Haunted Forest

As I sat around waiting for the Wicked Ride blog update I glanced over and saw one T6 sock on the floor with some dog hair on it. This was odd because during a break from constantly hitting my refresh button at Racer-X in anticipation of the Wicked Ride update I had just pulled a T6 sock from the dryer. Did they not get washed together?! Can I not trust my eighteen month old kid to properly sort laundry? What happened on the Wicked Ride? Was I misunderstanding it? Was it a Wicket Ride? A Widget Ride? Pure fantasy maybe? Why no update?! WTH?!?!?!?!?!