Two Wheel Blogs

Here are some mostly random notes and observations from today's cyclocross race, Bubba #9, the North Side Turkey Bubba.

This was my second cyclocross race. Like my first race three weeks ago, today's race was also held at Bellefontaine Park in north St. Louis county.

• Today's course could not have been more different from the first race's. A long course, it went deep into the park, taking advantage of a hilly bank next to a lake. This particular stretch would not be kind to me.
• Scott Thompson was there again, this time with his daughter, Molly, in tow. At my first race, he had come to run the cross country race and to cheer Boz and me on. Today, he came to race, having converted his Bianchi randoneuring bike into a single-speed cyclocross bike. "I've rigged my front wheel to come loose so I can drop out early," he joked before the race. Ironically, when I next saw Scott, it was mid-way through the first lap, and he was off the course, working on some mechanical problem. "I see your strategy paid off," I ribbed him as I rode by. Later, he told me he was having trouble keeping his chain on. When it came off at the barriers, he said a reluctant "Nuts to this!" and dropped out. He promises to be at Hermann next week with the goal of completing the race. I believe he will.
• Before the race, I met fellow Two Wheel blogger Mark Ewers. Mark, I concluded, is a good guy. (Hey, Ew-man!)
• The course was challenging -- and, for me, brutal. I rode an easy pre-race lap around it to get a feel for it, and I could tell the back stretch would be tough. ("Diabolical" is how Scott described it.) There was a section requiring quick turns and cutbacks on the cusp of a muddy hill. Once you negotiated that, you had a paved run down to a hard right turn by the lake, where your fun was just beginning. After that you had to do three up-and-downs in quick succession. The hills were steep and slippery, which made it difficult to generate speed and carry it up the hills. I quickly resorted to dismounting and running my bike up.
• Cyclocross spectators (riders and fans) like to clang cowbells. A lot. They also like beer. A lot. I like cyclocross spectators.
• I finished 27th in the C race. I rode hard, but nor particularly well. I wiped out several times on the same muddy uphill turn on the backstretch. Each time, I'd get a good line with my front wheel, but my rear wheel would skid on a tree root. On the first two laps, I negotiated this corner cleanly. On the next four or five (I lost count), however, I ended up on the ground. While it wasn't a particularly strong race for me, I did provide lots of entertainment for the spectators at that one muddy corner.
• My bib number is 53. The rider I finished behind was wearing bib number 52.
• I watched the B race with Boz and another rider (I didn't get his name) from The Pit, where Boz offered riders the requisite PBR handups. And he got quite a few takers. Boz is a great one-man cheering section. He seems to know all the riders and has funny things to say to incent them to ride harder or, failing that, to accept the PBR handup. Either way, he's a good man to have on the sidelines. He's also a good man to have in the race.
• Boz didn't offer a handup to a young rider in the B race who he knew to be underage. When I asked the rider's name, Boz told me, "Keaton Hanson." Keaton is the son of a college friend of mine, Scott Hanson. I didn't know Keaton rode cyclocross. I sought him out in the Start/Finish area and asked him to say hello to his dad for me. "You can tell him yourself," he replied. "He's right behind you." I'd not seen Scott for years, so I watched the A race with Scott and Keaton, and we caught up on our lives to date. Like Boz, they know all the riders and cheer them on. It was good to see them again. I look forward to seeing them next week at the Missouri State Championships in Hermann.

All in all, it was a great afternoon. Fortunately, the weather cooperated. The temperature for the C race was very comfortable and, while it did get cold before the finish of the A race, at least the rain stayed away. It was good to spend the day dry.

Next Sunday, I'm riding the 50+ Master's race at the Missouri State Championships. I know, I could ride in the Men's Category 4 race (beginners), and I probably should. But I figure, no matter which race I ride in, there's no possibility of my ending up on the podium, so I might as well race against riders my own age. That seems the sporting thing to do.

Due to weeknight conflicts, this will not be a good week for training. The earliest I could ride will be Thursday night. So I'm not going to get better, faster, or stronger between now and Sunday. I will just have to ride it such as I am. I know I'll finish at the back of the pack, and I don't care, because I also know I'll have a lot of fun pushing myself to ride the best I can. Sometimes, a good effort is enough. It was today.