And Now For My Next Trick

I'm starting to feel the end of 'cross season coming soon.  I know I could extend it out until early December if I wanted to, but I think I'm going to hang up the tubie wheels after the Super Cross Cup this weekend.  Yes, I'm skipping Maryland States, which I probably could do pretty well at.  I will be in Binghamton for Thanksgiving, and I don't want to have to rush home.  The more days of not waking up to an alarm I can get in a row, the better, so I'm going to sleep in on Sunday and be happy.  Plus, I haven't seen Ms. Geology's family in while, so a good visit is due.

Yesterday I hopped on a mountain bike for the first time since September.  Not really much to say, except that the Shed is AWESOME! Seriously, some of the best riding I have ever done.  Rode a little over 20 miles total, spent about 6 hrs in the woods and about 3 actually (man all that stopping adds up fast).  My hands and arms are pretty wrecked from riding rigid SS for the first time in a while, but I'll be recovered and snappy by this weekend so I can rip around Long Island for a few days.  I'm excited for this race, especially since it's at a new venue.  Don't get me wrong, I liked the old course, but the fact that it's an hour or more past everything, and was cold and windy as balls the last time I was there (still the only cross race that I haven't stayed to watch the Elite races without having a good reason to leave) dissuaded me from going back last year.  So I'm back this year, driving an hour less, and crashing at my Aunt's house, which is all but 5 mi from the new venue.  It works out kind of nicely.

So I'm excited for taking a few weeks off (two probably), then starting to put down some base miles for next mountain bike season.  I have some new bike stuff in the works (hope to have that soon too), which is very exciting.  I'll be representing the Dark Side next summer as well, which I think will be really good.  Bed time now.  Then back to work tomorrow.

Sometimes You're the Nail...

At Beacon Cross a few weeks ago, I was the hammer.  I was super-motivated to do well because I knew I was going to have a back row start.  Day-of reg will do that to you (it will also make promoters everywhere hate you a little more, but hey, I haven't day-of reg'd for a race in years now...) I hammered from eight or ninety something place up to 30th and felt really good about my day.  First 1.5 or 2 laps, I didn't really care, but then my mind clicked into gear, I started railing corners, floating down the descents and generally feeling good about my bike riding abilities.  Fitness was good, and the cross skills were there so I had a good day.

Stormtrooper Invasion!!!!

Stop... colaborate and listen... It's hammer time!!!
Gotta ride the beach run to the corner, then dismount

Highland Park, the next day, was a whole different story.  Maybe I gave a little too much at Beacon or maybe not; whatever the case was, I was definitely the nail at HPCX.  The nail that gets driven so far into the board that you can't get it out.  It's not that I went too hard and blew up, my legs just never gave me the opportunity to go harder than a soft pedal.  I could feel it in my warm-up.  There was nothing.  But that course is pretty fun, so I had a good day anyway.  Got to watch a pretty cool Elite Men's race, so I'm happy.

Tried to hammer...

...Got nailed

Didn't get a chance to race Fair Hill Xcross last weekend, but decided to drop by after work (since it's so close and all...).  Got to watch that Bahnson kid win the Elite Men's race (maybe his first Elite win? At least his first Elite MAC win...). Watching him race is always awe inspiring.  He is my 'cross idol.  

Tacchino Cross was pretty cool too.  Those MABRA races have a good vibe.  I really dug the course at Tacchino, a lot of it suited me very well.  The long-ish climbs, and singletrack, combined with flowy 180 turns and a sweet 2 log "run up." made for a pretty cool course.  I gained ten to twelve bike lengths on everyone I was with every time we hit the log barrier; hooray for moutain bike skills.  That helped in the last lap where I was being closely chased by some guy who looked very road sprintery.  

I gots just two races left in this here 2010 racing season; the "Race Formerly Held in Southampton" Super Cross Cup, and the Turkey Chase a.k.a Maryland State/MABRA Champs and I'm going to try and make the most of it.  Who knows, maybe we can have a C3 sweep of the podium for States in the 3/4 race.  That would be pretty sweet.  I'm looking forward to the Super Cross Cup, and I'm especially looking forward to not having to drive all the way out to Southampton to get to it.  Plus the new venue is like 5 miles from my Aunt's house.  Unfortunately she has moved to Shippensburg (just as I was leaving nonetheless) and the house is in the process of being sold.  Ms. Geology and I are staying there anyway (yes we have permission) so it should be a fun weekend.

After that it's back home for a few days, then back up to New York (Binghamton this time) for Thanksgiving. Oy. 

Fall Cleaning

Hey, do you know what you want? You want a new bike!  And you really want a super-pimp Cannondale Flash 29er!  You should check out the one I'm selling

Here


In other news, I had a super slow week at work, and am really looking forward to getting my 'cross on in Dirty Jersey this weekend.  See you all out there!

All Things Granogue

Granogue is awesome.  There's no two ways about it.  And as usual, I have had a full week to reflect on its awesomeness before my blog entry.  So after two days of cross practice on the course, and a 15hr work day on Friday, I made it to my parents house just in time to eat dinner and go to bed.  The next morning I was up normal time and headed to Granogue with Ms. Geology.  She was doing reg, or something, for the day.  I wasn't technically doing anything until after racing was over, but I figured that showing up would be good.  Team spirit and all.  Plus I love Granogue.  It is by far my favorite course out there.  And my favorite race in general, I think, because of the whole atmosphere and all the great people who run it.  I am very proud to say that I am one of those people.  The proudest I have ever been.  It means a lot to me to be part of a community like that.  You all are awesome.

To top it off, I had a weekend of great racing.  After a so-so start position on Saturday, I moved up into 28th place.  I had ridden Saturday's course a bunch, so I knew its flow.  That helped a lot, but having good legs didn't hurt.  It was super convenient that Granogue happened to fall at the end of a training block.  The whole course, in my opinion was super flowy and hard, with some interesting elements including a fun downhill section to the greenhouse, and the awesome tree-root corner where I passed tons of people (roadies).  I can't say enough about how much fun I had, or how hard it was, so I'll just stop talking.

Leading a group up the road

Cross skillz???

This shot should be used for both C3 and Granogue publicity

Sunday was equally as awesome.  Great course, No barriers, which was interesting.  Shortened Tower run-up with an awesome downhill remount to a ripping fast off-camber corner. Then there was that back slalom section through the trees, which was fun to rip up and down.  Had a much better start position this time, so I had to actually fight for my position all the time.  It's a really nice feeling to actually have to race, something I hope to replicate in next year's mountain bike season.  I did pull back a few spots  (finished 24th), though I did not accomplish my goal of winning Granogue.  Someday, maybe someday, I will win Granogue Cross.  And Granogue Mountain Bike too.  That would be nice.

Tower Run-up in traffic

Amphitheater run-up, last lap

Charging to the line

 Yesterday I traveled with Jewelry Store Ben to DCCX, another iconic east coast cross race.  It was fun.  I was really excited when I saw my number was 414.  That meant I would start on the second row! I'd have a chance at a result! When I got to the start line I was told to move back. Numbers started at 300. FML. Still pulled back 70 some places to finish 42nd.  Not a great result, but an effort I am happy with.  Next weekend I'm going to try and make it to Beacon Cross (assuming I can get off work), but I will definitely be at HPCX. See ya'll out there!

Apples

Got some apples from the cross race this weekend.  Don't really have much to say about it.  The apples are tasty.  Had a really good race, and I could have gotten a higher start if I had read my number correctly (that's another story all together.  Finished 22nd in the 3/4 race.  My legs are finally getting some pop back, out of corners and such, so kicking out of corners (which there were a lot of) wasn't as much of a problem.

C3 army present and accounted for for the 3/4 race

Movin' up...

Money shot from the road

As a sucky runner, I chose to ride the run-up, which was to my advantage except for this lap where the other guy in the picture caught me... I dropped him on the next climb though.

Might race next weekend, might not.  It depends on plans of friends, how much work I do this week, and other things.  This rain we've been having has been a blessing and a curse: on the one hand, I don't have to work so I have time to do other things, on the other hand, I don't have to work so I don't get paid.  I got billz to pay yo!

Pictures from Ms. Geology again...

Whirlygig

Been a few years since I hit Whirlygig (bird) Cross.  Last time I raced there it poured all day, and ended up being a little less than fun.  I had bike issues, which led to a crap race.  Yesterday.  I did not have bike issues.  I did not have leg issues.  I did not have cramping issues.  In fact I had a pretty good race.  It would have been nicer to have a higher placing at the finish (50th), but I started further back than that, so I guess that's good.  I guess that since I missed the first two rounds of the MAC, so I have absolutely no points.  I am relegated to the back of the pack, and unless I produce some super-human efforts (a la Cameron Dodge who won the B race starting from 1 row in front of me... good on him), or just get faster overall.  I'm thinking that faster just might be in order.  Faster over barriers, faster in the start, faster in the corners, faster on the flats.  Faster means training, which means fun bike riding all the time.  I suppose that's the best way to think of it.  And fun bike riding means 'cross practice once a week, which makes me excited. So I had a good race this weekend.  I really don't have much more to say about it.  I'll leave you with a few pictures, courtesy of Ms. Geology.

High speed barriers are sketchy... 

Ms. Geology thinks that this is a happy face... it is not a happy face 

She also likes taking pictures of me immediately post race...

Going to hit up some MABRA races for the next two weeks, then the infamous and awesome Granogue Cross... I'm excited, are you excited, BECAUSE YOU SHOULD BE!!!!!!!!!!!!

There's a cross practice at the end of the rainbow...

Indeed there was last night.  Attended my first official cross practice, which I had been planning on doing a month ago.  Not having a bike built up kinda put a stop to that.  Now that I have a bike, though, you will see me at practice every week from now until the end of the season.  Now that I have my cross bike built up, I can race too, and I did that last weekend.  Last Sunday (had to work Saturday) I pulled on the colors of the Dark Side and let my legs do the talking at Day 2 of Charm City Cross.  I suppose that's my home course now.  Well, since I didn't race the MAC opener at Puma Cross, or Day 1 of Charm City Cross, me legs managed to talk their way from a start in 105th to a finish in 78th.  There's only so much you can do when you're starting two rows from the back.  I would have almost rather started twenty or thirty feet off the back of the pack, but the officials were standing there and looked like they would have none of it.  It was a fun race though.  Had to wait a lap or two until the pack thinned out (and I remembered how to race cross) before I could start making moves.  After a complete screw up over the barriers first lap (hope nobody saw), I remembered how to do it and felt pretty damn good doing cross-type things that I don't normally do during the year; like dismounts, remounts, and carrying my bike over stuff.

Dark Side!

A pink staircase run-up should be a must at every 'cross race

So I've started training again, because it's 'cross season, and I'm sick of sucking (results wise) at 'cross.  It's time to pony up... Whirlybird is next weekend (held at my high school wrestling rival school... boo ANC), and it's off to the races from there, literally.  I leave you with the money shot, courtesy of Ms. Geology (other photos courtesy of her too).