Swashbuckler CX

The forecast called for rain. I opted to stay at a hotel close to the race course last night to avoid the long, early morning drive. The rain never came.

I arrived at the grounds of the PA Renaissance Faire around 8am, plenty of time to get a couple of laps in before my race. This was the second year for Swashbuckler and the course was noticeably different...there seemed to be more sketchy gravel sections, a fly-over (with a longer bypass option) had been inserted and a set of barriers had been removed. This was the first race I’d ever done in which there were no barriers.

All of the gravel had me feeling unenthused about racing. There weren’t many participants in this field. When we lined up, it was evident that only a handful would be competing for the top three spots.

I got a decent start and stayed with the lead group. At the fly-over, another rider failed at her attempt and came sliding down into me. The lead group of three got away...far away...and I realized that the race had changed quickly. It’s a place I’ve never been before. Usually, I can find a race within my race, but there was none. It was just me, alone, in fourth, riding my bike around the grounds of the Renaissance Faire. Having no one to chase and no one chasing me, took the wind out of my sails just a bit. 

On the second lap, I went down hard in a gravel section just before the fly-over. Blood was running down my leg and I was covered in dirt...two and a half more laps of torture and I was done...fourth.

I promptly headed to the medical tent to get cleaned up, then devoured an excellent peanut butter and banana sandwich. At least it didn’t rain.

Swashbuckler CX

November 2nd marked the date of my team's inaugural cross race (Caffeinated CX). It was also the date of a PA Series Race, Swashbuckler CX. As the season has progressed, the prospect of winning the Women's 3/4 Series in PA has become a realistic goal. Taking nothing for granted, I headed West this weekend to the grounds of the PA Renaissance Faire for Swashbuckler CX. 

Prior to inspecting the course, I'd received feedback from others that it was unsafe. The pre-ride left me feeling a bit uneasy. This was largely in part to the longest sandpit ever, which rewarded me with a pretty nasty battle scar after a failed attempt at riding. 

An up hill start left me in second place. I lost contact with the lead rider after the sand pit (I was 1 for 4 in my attempts to ride it) but quickly regained ground as we entered lap number two. At some point, I passed the lead rider, but we remained close. On the second lap I was able to ride the sand pit cleanly, which gave me some breathing room. The last two laps I turned it up a notch every opportunity I had, then dialed it back as not to make a mistake when approaching the technical sections. 

The promoters gave every participant a voucher for a turkey leg and six pack of beer. The podium was in front of a pirate ship and I was given a wooden sword for my first place finish.

Swashbuckler CX Post Race (Root) Beer: Appalachian Brewing Company

Because I need to get up at 5:30AM both days this weekend. Discovered circa 2001 while working on a research project for Temple University. I frequently had to visit a prison not far from Appalachian Brewing Company. After sampling all of their offerings, I opted with the six pack of root beer to go. It has been my favorite ever since.