Cross Crusade Washington County Fairgrounds: I want mine

the only time I'd be with the field
(photo courtesy of Dave Roth)

While I didn't have the best legs on Sunday I had the opportunity and I was going to take it.  With the last place call up last week I got to start third row and I had my pick of exactly which fast wheel I could follow through the first lap.  After the first lap, there I was, in the top 20 and legs were opening up.  I was leading a solid group and I knew if I hung with them I'd finally be able to get that result I've been looking for.


There we go, into the second lap, past the pit, through the barriers, past the pit again and into the S-bends.  Then it happened, my front tire washing out in the corners.  I'm sitting there thinking "ok, I know I'm not the best bike handler out there but surely I can take this next corner clean."  Then I'm laying on the ground. Turns out when your tire has 12 psi, rather than the expected 24, you can't take a corner that hard.  Yes, another flat.  A mile and a half of running.  By the time I finally made it to the pit and got a wheel I was at the back of the women's field with the last-place A racer about 5 minutes ahead.  Faced with the choice of DFL or DNF I knew there was no choice.  I already pulled out of one race this year, it wasn't going to happen again.  I finished the 61st out of 62 starters, with one DNF.

you owe me

While yes, I do realize that it's bike racing and shit happens I'm getting a little sick of wasting these golden opportunities, be it awesome legs or spectacular starting position.  That said, if all I have to show for the past three races are crappy results, flat tires and some bruises I'll take that over broken collarbones, bikes, ribs, or even a concussion.  As much as I may complain about how a particular race didn't go my way I'm also very mindful that I've been incredibly lucky the past few years so I'm just going to view this as paying my dues to the luck fairy.  Here's to another two years of mishap-free racing.

Lastly, major props to teammate Scott Gray for his top-20 finish yesterday!  This is his third cross race (ever) and yes, while he does have incredible fitness a result like that is fairly spectacular.  Also, teammate Jim Anderson beat young Trek-Livestrong rider Ian Boswell so I guess the day wasn't a total wash.