Town Hall CX

The second day of Charm City CX was a bust for me. I'm unaccustomed to racing back to back, had a poor start and was unable to get clipped into my left pedal a majority of the last lap. A seventeenth place finish is not bad (top 5 Cat 4) but it wasn't what I had hoped for and not the way I way I wanted to spend my birthday. On the drive home from Baltimore, the race replayed in my mind. I spent the week working on starts, determined to improve on my last performance. 

Town Hall CX was the first race of the PACX Series. I did a few of these races last year and they were my favorites because registration is cheap ($25) and they give merchandise prizes to the top five in each field. The course had a significant climb entitled the St. Luke's Staircase and one set of barriers. When I previewed the course I was unable to ride up the steepest section of the climb, but hoped that would change when riding at race pace. 

Photo Credit:Dennis Smith

I lined up in the front row, knowing that I had to maintain this position on the start and first lap in order to finish well...and I did. Heading in to the bell lap I was in a group of three and heard the announcer refer to us as the "chase group" for third place. Shortly thereafter, one of the riders flatted, leaving myself and another in contention for third place. We had battled for most of the race. I passed her on the climbs and she passed me on the descents...and that's exactly what she did on the final lap and I could not catch her. I crossed the line in fourth place for my first podium of the season.

Town Hall Post Race Beer: Fegley's Brew Works Devious Imperial Pumpkin.   
The Bethlehem Brew Works was about three miles from the race course. I called in advance to make sure they would fill a growler from another brewery (they do) and planned on getting one filled after the race. The Main Street exit was closed and traffic in the area was a mess. I could see the Brew Works two blocks ahead and pulled into a twenty minute parking zone. Growler in hand,I ran two blocks, up hill (that hurt) and found myself in the middle of a parade. I slipped into the Brew Works and the bar tender filled my growlier with Devious Imperial Pumpkin. It's 9% abv of pumpkin awesomeness and runs a close second to Southern Tier Pumking and my favorite pumpkin beer.

My 39th Year

Bike Fresh Bike Local, PASA, Victory...Cross is Boss...WhirlyBird, CX Clinic, redline...CRCX, friends, smiles, cow bells...West Chester Cross Classic...Independence CX and the amphitheater of pain...Stoudts...beers, medals, podiums, mud, embrocation, my big toe...FSVS @Fair Hill, Crossasaurus Awesome...Pumpkin beer, pumpkin shakes, pumpkin granola, pumpkin cookies..appendix, colon, Cancer Sucks...Waiting, wedding, something's missing...Trains, lights, Brooklyn Bridge, pizza, gourmet hot chocolate, Gorilla Coffee...Marge and Betty do Valley Forge, backgammon, Cafe Volo...Katz Coffee, French Press, Moka Pot...Susquehanna, Elk Neck, DuClaw...Sweet Baby Jesus...AWOL on the Appalachian Trail, The Art of Racing in the Rain, Marley and Me...55 South...Single Speed, GT Zaskar, woods, headwinds, crosswinds, it's always windy in south jersey...Taylor Swift, Colbie Caillat, Kelly Clarkson, Katy Perry, Chick Radio...Layers, blinky lights, Pure Energy, hills, gravel, climbing, spinning, Team Awesome, Cognition...Tires, trash, taxes...Personal training, lateral raises, IYT, kettle bells, core...Skratch Labs, coconut flour, local honey...Hunterdon County, bike tan, Instagram...FaceTime, fall out, distance, cut your losses...Waffles and the ten minute criterium, Somerset circuit TT, the very predictable NJ State Road Race...Catskills, Peekamoose, Table, Cornell, Wittenberg, Slide, 3500 feet...15,000 miles...Beach, beer, bikes...You and Me, Hard Times, Colder Weather...Cape May Brewing Company, Iron Hill, Triumph...Pinball, skee ball, mini golf...Phillies Suck...Artist Date...Six Speed, Lancaster Brewing Company, Lititz, Full Moon, Wolves...Hope Hubs, NoTubes, Nittany CX...Charm City, Baltimore, Brewers Art, Double T...Minimalists...Unplugged, back roads, buckle up...Enjoy the ride. 

Charm City CX

My pre-race neurosis set in around 9pm on Friday night. One quick call to a dear friend set me straight. I texted my Saturday morning ride to let her know I'd be driving on my own. 

I arrived at Druid Hill Park on Saturday morning just before 8:30AM to pre-ride the course. It seemed more difficult than Nittany CX two weeks ago. I went to registration, got my number 613 (lucky 13 again) and did one more lap on the course. I wasn't feeling it. I rolled up to the starting line nervous...more nervous than I have even been for a CX race...then the whistle blew and it was fun again.  

The course had one set of barriers, a staircase, tree planter and double sand pit in other words, I'd be on and off the bike at least four times per lap. During the warm up, I made the decision to run the sand pits as opposed to riding them. It was a wise decision, which enabled me to pass people who got stuck or fell down in the sand. 

There were so many people on the course it was difficult to tell where I had finished...but my lungs felt like they were bleeding and the entire race was a blur, both clear indicators that I given it a good effort...turns out, good enough for 11th place in a field of nearly 50 women...my best MAC finish and one spot away from my season goal of cracking the top ten. 

Charm City Post Race Beer: Du Claw Brewing Company, Sweet Baby Jesus! Normally, I'm not a fan of porters, but place the words "chocolate" and "peanut butter" before it and it's a different story. If you are in the Baltimore area (there are three locations), check this place out. The beers are fantastic and a growler fill (they'll fill any) is only $12.

chameleons

Life is full of compromises. The key to remaining happy is knowing when to stand your ground. There are people who enter relationships firmly rooted in who they are, only to become a completely different person in a matter of months. I call these people "chameleons" because they change based on who they are around. In that situation, nobody wins.

My sense of self has become more concrete as I've gotten older. I have become more selective about my battles. I have learned to bend, but not to the point of breaking. It's caused tension in a few friendships. There are some that I've walked away from. For better or worse, you'll get 100% of me, 100% of the time and that's what I expect in return.

Who do you want to be today? 

salaried saturday...

...a casual observation

Get to work two hours late, slightly before 10AM. 

Drink coffee and talk with the girl who works the counter for about an hour.

Go to desk, grab book and head to the bathroom.

Re-emerge from bathroom around 11:30am, play with iPhone at desk until Noon.

Walk around, talk to a couple friends and head out.

This scenario is one of the things I think about when people complain about raising the minimum wage.

complacency vs. contentment

Someone said something to me that struck a nerve...the person who said it was convinced that I am completely satisfied with where I am in my life right now and did not see me changing anything anytime soon. The thing that bothered me was that it was said with a negative connotation. 

I started to think more about the fine line between complacency and contentment.Yes, I am happy with where I am right now, but I also realize that staying here too long will breed stagnation. 

We're always gunning for a better job, a better body, a better deal, more money...even when we get it, we still want more.

It has taken a long time for me to get to this place. Is there anything wrong with wanting to enjoy it for a little while?

Nittany CX

Ten months. I waited ten months to write this post. Cyclocross season is finally here!

I took some time off from structured training after Crossasuarus Awesome. When January rolled around I was back at it, forever changed. Riding on the road was ok, but it wasn't cross. As the months went on I found myself less interested in road racing. The workouts became more about maintaining fitness for CX Season.  

My first race of the 2013 season was Nittany Cross on Sunday September 8th. There were 47 women in my race (Cat 3/4 Women). It was the largest field I've been in so far. 

The course was mostly flat. We dismounted twice, once for a log and another for a set of barriers. After a rooty, winding section in the woods there was a long straightway, which was my favorite part of the course...hammer time!

The race started fast and stayed fast. I learned a valuable lesson last season about the importance of the first lap. I did my best to hold my position through the first two laps, then went to work, picking off riders. When it comes to racing cross, my strength is the ability to endure suffering. My weakness is choosing the right lines, which is one area I'm looking to improve upon this year.

I crossed the line in 13th place. Lucky 13! I can only hope that it is foreshadowing...if so, it should be a good season. 

My post race beer selection was a Pumpkin Ale from Iron Hill Brewery. Definitely not my favorite offering from Iron Hill. Definitely not my favorite Pumpkin Beer, but I was able to force down two pints.

I'm baaaaaaack...

I deactivated my Facebook account on August 14th. I wanted to spend the final days of summer free from the tether of social media. 

No more than an hour later, I received a text from a friend asking me where my Facebook page had gone. 

There was nothing wrong with me. I didn't need to talk to anyone. I wasn't made at you. I didn't delete you. I didn't block you. I simply deactivated my account for a few weeks. 

Since then, my mornings have been much more productive. I read the news while having coffee or type an email to one of my friends from out of state or I write or I go to the gym or I ride my bike...and I don't miss Facebook nearly as much as I thought I would. In fact, I kinda forgot all about it until someone asks me if I saw a post on a mutual friend's page...and then they quickly remember I'm not on Facebook.

For better or worse, I am back...mostly, because people these days seem to be incapable of communicating outside the realm of social media.