WhirlyBird CX

I mentioned in a previous post that growing up, I wasn’t exactly an all-star athlete. I was over weight, made fun of and always the last kid picked in gym class. I participated, but wasn’t very good at sports. 

In high school, I didn’t allow my parents to come to the games. What was the point in them coming to watch me sit the bench? 

Thankfully, I grew out of the awkwardness (about four years after my peers) and shed some weight. I was a decent athlete (rowing) in college. Twenty years have passed, but I’d like to think that I am still in fairly decent shape for my age.  

WhirlyBird CX was later this season and at a different location, but it is a special race for me because it was my first. Three years later, it became even more special with my mom on the sidelines watching. 

I’ve come a long way since those awkward teen years. I’m sure it must have hurt my mom that I did not want her at my sporting events. Even though it was never discussed, she probably understood the reason why, because that’s just the way mom’s are. 

Thanks Mom, for supporting me all these years.

WhirlyBird CX

The entire week had been a struggle...the company I work for owes me nearly $600 in back pay and is giving me the run around. I received a letter from a lawyer indicating that a long time tenant would be holding rent in lieu of repairs. She filed a complaint with L&I indicating that her heat did not work, even though I told her on numerous occasions that it did...and it does...the technician confirmed it on Friday morning in her presence. I’ve a laundry list of repairs to tackle over the next few weeks. People expect to just snap their fingers and have things done. Let me tell you, contractors are not the easiest people to pin down.

So, needless to say I was looking forward to racing this weekend. It had been three weeks since Charm City. I was on my bike three times since then and was hoping for fresh legs instead of that rusty feeling. 

I never trust the 10 day. The 5 day can be hit or miss as well. Both were forecasting rain on Saturday...and rain it did...but I didn’t even care. WhirlyBird will always be special for me because it was my first CX race...and this was my two year crossaversary. I had waited two years for a mud race. It was Saturday morning and it was here.

I arrived at Bensalem High School at 8am, walked to registration and took a look at the course. After two preview laps, I revisited the off camber sections. They were rideable, but all bets would be off at race time.

I got my useless front row call up and ten people blew by me when the whistle sounded. Going into the barriers I wasn’t in the best position. I knew that people would be riding aggressively on the first lap, making them more prone to errors and falls on the slick sections...and that’s exactly what happened. This enabled me to gain some ground on the lead group. 

My strength is endurance and the ability to pick people off as they wear down. Unfortunately, this was a short, three lap race which had me begging for one more. I crossed the line fourth, not far behind a buddy of mine who I enjoyed heckling in the final minutes of the race. I was covered in mud...I was happy...and for thirty two minutes I had forgotten about the battles I had been fighting all week.

WhirlyBird CX

Today was my one year CX anniversary. I remember that nervous feeling at WhirlyBird last year. I had no idea what I was getting myself into, nor how much I would enjoy it. 

I opted not to take the first row start my bib number entitled me to. Instead, I lined up in the second row behind a wheel that I trusted. Starts are a work in progress…there's the tension at the starting line, your heart rate going from 88 to 188 in 10 seconds, all while trying to clip in with thirty people around you...not to mention trying to find the proper line. I lost contact with the lead group shortly after the start, but kept them in sight the entire race. 

My coach explained a race as a series of "if, then" scenarios. Today was the best example of that statement I've seen thus far. It's hard enough to keep your legs moving when your heart rate is pegged and your lungs feel like they're bleeding...having to incorporate anything cerebral into the equation seems too taxing...but if you don't stay mentally sharp, you're going to go down with that girl who just toppled over in the mud...you're going to get passed on the inside by that girl who's on your wheel.

I rode a smart race today, made two big moves in the last lap and finished 8th. I also attained a season goal of finishing in the top 10 at a MAC Race...Happy CX Anniversary to me!

WhirlyBird Post Race Beer: I picked something up at Canal's on the way home and had every intention of drinking it, then it was 7:30pm and I was in my pajamas. There's always tomorrow!

WhirlyBird 'Cross 2012

Cyclo-cross is a form of bicycle racing. Races typically take place in the autumn and winter and consist of many laps of a short course featuring pavement, wooded trails, grass, steep hills and obstacles requiring the rider to quickly dismount, carry the bike while navigating the obstruction and remount. Races are generally between 30 minutes and an hour long, with the distance varying depending on the ground conditions. 

Cyclo-cross is the sport I never knew that I always wanted to try. Midway through my first season of road racing, a couple guys at the shop asked if I was racing cross in the fall. A few weeks later, I bought a CAADX and was eyeing up the schedule for my first race. 

Aside from seeing one race several years ago, I didn’t know much about cross, aside from the fact that it was “awesome” and “something I needed to try." Prior to the race I set up a one on one session with a coach to learn some cross specific skills. I fell off the bike before we even started. 

My first race, Whirlybird cross, was September 29th in Bensalem, PA. My heart rate went from resting to max in thirty seconds. It stayed that way for the duration of the forty-minute race. I’m pretty sure that if I had a chance to look down at my Garmin it would have been flashing, “You should be dead by now.” On the second lap I said to myself “I actually paid money to do this.” On the third lap, I was pretty sure I was going to vomit...but I didn’t AND...I couldn’t stop smiling the entire time. It was the most fun I’ve ever had on a bike and I can’t wait to do it again.