Sunday November 22, 2009
6:30 am
Been up for an hour, had breakfast and have indeed lost my mind because I’ve made the decision to try something new, and in 3 and a half hours will be in the CSAJ (Cycle Solutiosn Angry Johnny Racing Team) Cyclocross race in Riverdale Park. Beginner Men division. Or as I like to think of it, “Beginner Men Over 50 Who Should Know Better”.
Can think of so many excuses or reasons to sit this one out: left lower back has been really sore for the past 3 days. Recovering from cracked rib and torn rotator cuff from wiping out on my bike about a month ago. Got some bizarre irritation or rash on my arms that is sore and itchy and taking forever to clear up. Have never raced before. Have never even been in group ride, don’t know how to handle being among a bunch of competitive riders who would just as soon ride over me as go around.
Race duration is 40 minutes + 1 lap. My goal is to get through one lap without killing myself, and if I can manage that, try to complete 4 laps in the allotted time. I expect the contenders to do at least 6 laps before the final lap bell. Mantra for this event is: ‘It’s only 40 minutes. You can keep moving forward for 40 minutes. Keep moving forward. Keep your feet moving for 40 minutes.’.
Have never done anything like this before but I can see it is a very difficult course. There are (at least) 2 uphill sections which will require me to dismount and walk up, although I expect the other riders to simply charge up those slopes on their bikes. Plus there are the other obstacles that are designed to get the riders off their bikes.
Post Race Report:
Was too old for the beginner division so I entered Master 3 Men (35 and over).. The weather was absolutely amazing for November 22. Started out cloudy but cleared up before the 10:00 am start time. It was cool but not cold with very light winds. It had rained on Friday and some parts of the course were muddy and slippery.
Accomplished what I set out to do: got through the first lap okay. Kept going, didn’t kill myself or wipe out. Could have gone faster on some downhill sections but the main thing is that I kept control and avoided catastrophe. So glad I had practiced controlled skids earlier in the summer. And the bike held up perfectly. Tires slipped a bit on muddy parts so I had to walk which was all right with me. Did not drop the chain. Did not give up even when legs were burning. Did not give up when I thought I was going to throw up. Sure I finished in last place - 36th out of 36 - but I did finish. And now that it’s over I can say that it was fun.
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