Today I kind of sucked

(photo courtesy of "richtheneighbor")

So, first cross race of the season and I kind of screwed up.  While I wasn't looking for or expecting a spectacular result I wanted to go out, get dirty and have some fun. Well, I definitely got dirty; fun is questionable.

you know you're in trouble when this bike shows up

Here we go, David Douglas Park, Vancouver, Washington, first cross race of the season and the opener for the Gran Prix Molly Cameron.  As I'm pulling all my stuff together I look over and see a size 63 Felt cx bike with about two feet of drop on it.  Shit, looks like Ryan Trebon is here.  As a three-time (three, right?) former national cyclocross champion, when he shows up to these local races it's not a matter of who will win, simply who won't get lapped.  Oh, and on top of this I get stuck with the number in the picture below, not just for this race, for the entire season.

No pressure...

As far as the course goes it was dry and fast.  There were a few silty sections through the woods but other than that it's a fast course.  So there I am, sitting pretty probably 5th wheel, right where I wanted to be hurtling through the first few corners.  Then I go ahead and mess it all up.  I stick a pedal down in a corner and pivot the entire rear end of the bike around, almost winding up on the ground.  I go from 5th to dead last in a second and a half.  There goes my strategy, so much for a defensive and smart race, I had to revert to all out chasing.  There I go, taking some risks, railing corners and chasing as hard as I can.  This kind of bit me in the butt with about 3 laps to go.  I was working hard to stay ahead of a Team S&M rider when I took the second downhill/dirt section a little too hard.  Down I go, there he goes.  Wound up 10th overall.  Should have been 9th due to some lap confusion but doesn't really matter, after that initial spill my head was a little out of it.  I'm a little bummed I wasn't able to hang in there and see what I could have really done but that time will come, just not today.

(photo courtesy of Pat Malach
at Oregon Cycling Action)

Today's lessons: learn to corner faster than a Cat 5.  I know it comes with experience and it'll get better as the season progresses but I really sucked at cornering today, that's where I'm going to get the time back.

From here on out, this will be my warmup song for every race.  Courtesy of a teammate.