"Jump The Barriers, and Haul Ass!"

I am not a 'cross rider, I am a triathlete. I don't pin my numbers to my jersey, I wear a race belt. I don't have a race warm up, I come straight out of the pool. I don't ride technical routes, I time trial. I don't know what I am doing here...

*these are not my photos, but a story is always better with pictures*

The later was my thought upon arrival at the Fort. I was totally out of my element, lost in a sea of very few friendly faces, and a very foreign terrain. I didn't even know what to pump my tires up to. What am I thinking? Scott told me, "don't worry, just jump the barriers and haul ass." Sound simple enough.

My intent for cyclocross is to have fun, the type of fun you get when you have no pressure or expectations. I am realistic, I ride a handful of off road rides a year and don't plan on devoting any extra time to it in the near future, all I can hope for in 'cross is to have fun and above all don't get hurt.

A huge group showed up for the race, easily 50 or more. The Mens A rolled out first, my group started after the last Mens A completed the first lap. I didn't want to cause any trouble for the legit 'cross racers so I started at the back. The first part of the course was fairly wide open and flat, I thought, "this isn't bad at all, I can hang with this."

Then we hit the organ jarring section cutting across a field, I always wanted to know what a milk shake feels like. We then went through the technical stuff, dismounts, run ups, and twisting sections. I quickly realized that section of the course would not be my strength. However, I could hold my own on the drawn out straights and pavements sections, I think that would be the "haul ass" sections. The drafting, something that is illegal in my sport, was pretty fun. I would yo-yo through the ranks on each lap, move up past people on the straights, and give all the places back through the technical stuff.

About 20 minutes into the race things had settled down, I was starting to actually relax through the technical stuff. I found my self off the back of a group of about 6 riders. Now I know my M.O. was to have fun, but I reasoned myself into thinking I would not be having fun unless I tried to catch all six riders before the end of race. The next two laps I caught and passed three of the other riders, I found myself making up more ground on the straights than what I was losing in the technical stuff. I stuck to the wheel of the next rider through tech section and gassed it during the flats, two to go.

Sure this hurt, but it was that fun kind of hurt, a fun hurt that promised to stop in a few minutes, and most important, I could ride like a demon and wouldn't have to run after...yes. With two laps to go I passed the next rider, it felt good as this dude was kitted with a sweet skin suit. One lap to go. After riding through rough row, past the dismounts, I was glued on the guy's wheel through the flats and the final dismount. I knew I would get him, I had held back the whole race and he seemed to be combusting. With 300 yards to go I used the Ricky Bobby slingshot move to get by. I hit the line with no challenge.

I consider catching the 6 guys a victory, even though I was beaten by 3 times that many. I managed to almost hold the lead lap, only one Mens A lapped me on his final lap. Overall, it was fun race. A time that I was able to "just ride" with no pressure or expectations. It was a chance to try something new. I met my goals of having fun and not getting mangled in a crash. Above all it was a great day of jumpin' barriers and haulin' ass.