Cross Crusade #2 10/15/06

Though my effort at Crusade #1 could hardly be described as some kind of masterpiece, I'll still go ahead and call my race today "my first really bad ride of the season". I have a cold, my head wasn't in the game and my equipment was poorly prepared.

Before the race even started, my rear derailleur wasn't moving like it should, and I just sort of let it go, like, even if I fixed it then, it would jam again, so why bother? Nice attitude, eh? The only thing that went right on the day was my good start: after half a lap I was near the front and going fast. I was on Cameron's wheel and feeling like I could have a good race. Then I rolled my front tire off. This immediately caused the really disasterous mechanical on the day: broken heart. I went from gung-ho to so-low in zero seconds flat. I ran it for a moment, then remembered that I could put it back on. I put it back on and pitted. Got back out on my front spare, it was flat and it was rolling off every other corner. Pitted again. Stole Bene's front wheel (I think) (thanks Mike) and got back in... basically in training ride mode. Started to feel better about at least trying to finish the race fast, even if it's for last place; and then I rolled off my rear tubular. Sigh. Put it back on, pitted for the third time in 3 laps, got my rear clincher and just rode the course until they told me to stop. Oh, and the whole time I was in single-speed mode since my derailleur wouldn't move. Shite. Worst race ever. 'Thanks' and 'sorry to disappoint you' to everone that was cheering me on. Man, I was just not myself today. Sorry. Even just trying to talk to people afterwards, I would make error after error. I'll try to snap out of it by next weekend. Anyone know a cheap sports psychologist? Anybody have time to give me a swift kick in the ass?

Lapierre X-Lite FDJ Cyclocross

It is so choice.

If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.

oh... not to mention The Playmanator

Damn, Veloshop had a good day. I could write about this all night. Here's Erin Playman making a pass on the remount (mad skills!) after the start-line barriers. She got 3rd in the Elite Women. Damn... pink and black, yo. We had pink scattered all up in everybody's mix. Y'heard me? I said PINK AND BLACK!

oh, yeah... Tommy

...and here's my ridiculous-speed teammate (he's gone plaid!) Tommy Tuite slaughtering the single-speed category. I learn from this guy every chance I get. Note the effortlessness of his barrier crossing...

Battle at Barlow 10 08 06

yo. so, i've been given crap for never blogging my starcrossed and crusade #1 races. yeah, deal with it. the short story: starcrossed was f'ing awesome. i couldn't hang with the Jacques-Mayne, Decker, Kabush group (but Molly could... props), but i still did way good for me: 18th (look under 'elite men'). The next day I was way tired and i cracked hard and got 13th in the first of the Crusades. i was in the points, nonetheless. it was a weekend so tiring that i couldn't even type about it on this here internet thingy.

today, however, was a day for glory. it wasn't a Crusade, so i wasn't seriously, like, sweating it, but, still, the cats were away (in Glouchester), and us mice were meant to play. i had a good start with plenty, maybe too much (?) elbows (Cameron is teaching me 'cross, mind you), and i was in the mean-ass-killing-it group right away. then Brandt rode away. then i chased him solo for like, ever. then Zach, who had been in a cooperative group of four that were chasing me, rode up to me, rode through me, rode away from me, crashed, got back up on his bike way behind me and then rode through me and away from me again, the schmuck. too damn strong. (there needs to be a neat-o internet emaily smiley face thing for a squinty-sharp-eyed look of diabolical scheming... if there were one, i would put it here...) anyways, those guys beat me fair and square. i'm just glad i didn't go headfirst into the barriers on the run-down (who's idea was that??). my teamate Tiah took just the best pictures and i'm trying to figure out how to share them... but for now, here's one of me on the run-down i'm talking about. for my unknowing fam back in Cali, IA and AZ: this is cyclocross.