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.