A week of rain prepared the course in Bent Creek's 'Fun Park' for a sloppy day of local racing today! Will Black and friends laid out a sweet, fast, technical, muddy course for us to race on today. The great thing is that 'cross is even more fun in the rain and mud, and no cancellations like at the track!
After pre-riding the course I decided to put my aluminum wheels on instead of my Super Ego carbon wheels, due to the preponderance of rim-eating roots on the course. An extra 10psi also helped to limit the damage, although it probably slowed me down in the mud later in the race. As we lined up, all the local heroes where there: Andy Applegate and Will Black, Globlabike's cross team, Rennaisance Bikes, NCCX, Boone Black Cat, riders from Knoxville, as well as some others who made the racing exciting today! My teammate Jacob didn't make it since, apparently, he melts in the rain ;)
I got a good start and was top 3 going into the first set of turns. I was able to maintain 2nd for a lap before being passed on lap 2 by Andy Applegate, Dave Forkner, and Josh Whitmore (Will led us all . . .). It was the deep mud that was sucking my energy as well as the power climbs which I haven't been training for. Each time we hit the muddy sections I lost a few feet, and going through the singletrack, my better judgement slowed me down as I tried to avoid trees with fogged-up glasses. I was able to battle back up to Josh and pass him for a lap, but my effort ended as I pulled a page out of grade school summer fun and did a Slip-n-Slide into the grass field coming off the steep drop from the woods! Fortunately I was no worse for the wear, except that I knocked the wind out of myself. I have to say that it was worth it though! However, Josh passed me, and during the ensuing lap, my low-back started to feel the effects of not enough time in the woods. I faded to 5th and maintained that position 'til the finish, while Josh caught Dave and ended up in 3rd, behind Will and Andy. Great course, great riders, great fun!
Check out pictures of the sloppy mess that I was after the race (http://www.flickr.com/photos/thefunpark/sets/72157622301306539/with/3940955323/). . . lucky us, the Fun Park had a hose which we used to strip the 1" thick mud off of our bikes and bodies! At home I turned the hose on my bike, and our dual showerheads on my body to remove the remaing grime. While cross races are shorter, if you add the time it takes to clean the bikes, then it's like doing a 3hr road race!
A special thanks to Jeff at Trek for getting me a cross bike so quickly! This race was my first ride ever on the bike and it performed flawlessly! And, as always thanks to all of our great sponsors:
Industry 9, Trek, Hutchinson, Liberty Bicycles, Rudy Project, Honey Stinger, Dr. Miller, PML, Eco Concepts Realty, ABRC, Champion, Velosports, and Affordable Home Inspections
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