OUCH...Bruised and battered. ....that is the best way to describe my first cross race. It was cold out for our first cyclo cross race. How fitting! The morning was clear and bright and LOTS of people showed up!! It was a relaxed event, no official signing in , just write your name on a notepad. This was a BANDIT practice run.
Jason and Rich D. did an outstanding job of setting up the course and they kept things really safe by posting people near the parking lot road and warning dog walkers.
They started everyone at the same time. Women and men. no categories. It is just for practice. I could not keep up with the guys. You have no idea how much that got me!!
haha.
I hope you are all happy. :P GRRRRRRR!!
And when Tim and the two other guys LAPPED ME. I was ready to kill them. ARGH!
Tim later told me that they lap the women nearly every race, even in the championships. Is this TRUE?? GIRLS?? COME ON! (granted they probably send the men off first, right? They get a head start.))
That is now my goal. Not to win, necessarily, but to not be lapped by any of the guys in a race.
It is a different system for me. BOY is it a different system!!! I did feel my mountain bike legs start to kick in after a while. I notice that I have to rest when I can in smaller bits. I am thinking now that you 'rest' by doing technical perfect. ugh. My dull brain is going to love this. !!!
SO the key to Cyclo Crossing is working the technique and keeping it even. Keep the flow. Never panic and try to always feel strong in the pedal. Gain speed by being even and perfect in the technical. For me that is to limit my fear and just do it.
My best jump of the 10 lap race was ruined when I remounted my bike. I ran too fast when I was pushing my bike and instead of landing on my saddle I missed and landed on my back wheel. It did not go thru my 50 dollar Suarez bib- knickers. http://www.bikejerseys.com/suarblklyckn.html
( you got to get these, they are bomb proof, warm and have the BEST chamois plus they are priced nice)
....... but I got a nice burn mark on my leg. It hurts.
But I think for sure I am not the first person to have ever done that. CONCENTRATE!!!!!
My BIGGEST issue is being short and having to LIFT My bike up over the jjumps.
How does CW do it?? dang that woman is STRONG.
Certainly taller people DO have an advantage in this sport, at least with the jumps.
I am going to have to hit the gym and do some arm curls.
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3 comments:
Great job, June! It'll all come. I'm not going to do my first race until October. There's one in IA this weekend, but I'm just not feeling it yet, so think I'll wait a few more weeks. Thx for the link to the portable barriers. I gave it to Marc and he and a friend built a set.
CX is soo much fun. Collective suffering :) Barrier sections finally give me someplace to put my stupid long inseam to use. Too bad I can't run worth a hoot.
The Quad cities is fairly close for you tho right? Village cross is a super fun course, you could come over and give the IA women a run for their money this weekend.
DG
I am checking out the schedule and making decisions with the big H.
I am wanting to come down for some races. It would be fun to see everyone down there. :)
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