CycloCrossism

CycloCrossism – The act of continual post-regular-season (see road or mountain biking) self abuse carried out over a mixture of grass, pavement and everything in between with the goal of being able to down multiple beers without completely destroying an entire season of training and riding before winter. This beer consumption also serves to replenish lost bodily fluids due to post race cookie tossing, aka grocery shouting. Often considered a form of self mutilation Cyclocrossism appears to be reaching near cult like status throughout the US bike racing community as serious racers and weekend warriors alike turn out in full force to take on what ever conditions mother nature chooses to throw their way.

I LOVE Cyclocross! I did the DCCX race this past weekend in DC organized by the DCMTB team and I couldn’t have asked for a better time. I had a vague idea of what things would be like; a bit of a festive atmosphere with some pain, pleasure and glory mixed in along the way. What I got though was a shit ton of pain, very little glory and more pleasure then a leisure suit larry with the disco fever.

I started in the very back of the pack after forgetting the unwritten rules of race starts and having to get Chris to re-pin my number on the correct side of my jersey within 5 minutes of the start whistle. The first lap I went out hard, determined to pass as many of the bunch as I possibly could before settling in at a solid race pace. Of course I don’t know what that is it being my first race and all but I gave it what I had and tried to hold off the riders who quickly began creeping up on me. Unfortunately in practice the longest I’ve probably ridden cross was two laps at the UMD course which I think is a bit over 1 mile so the 40+ minute race was a bit more then I was prepared for.

At one point a friend watching the race said they counted me somewhere in the top fifteen but I ended up at 22nd crossing in the top 1/3 of finishers for the C race. I believe I can do better, though during the race I didn’t really even think I was in the top 30 so maybe my motivation at points might have been a bit lower then they should have been. A long stretch heading into a solid headwind after the second set of barriers had me riding so slow I might as well have been cheering on the riders behind me as they worked to pick me off.

This weekend is the Squadra Coppi’s produced Tacchino Cross out in Leesburg, VA so hopefully I’ll manage to pull out a more consistent performance in my second cross showing. If the last Coppi’s produced race was any indication however I may have to forget about a top 20 finish and just hope that I can hang in to the finish!

Oh and I have a new headset coming in that I'll hopefully have by tomorrow so here’s to shutting up the chatter box that is my current rig.

A parting kiss to leave you with. I must say that I should have won either the prettiest or ugliest title (not really sure which one) on the day hands down though apparently most folks were too busy concentrating on racing their bikes to be distracted by my flowing locks of golden brown hair. As I was passing one woman though she did tell me she was trying to beat me since she thought I was another woman. I've gotta say, that makes me lean toward title of the prettiest racer...