Sunday's Race..in better detail

It has been brought to my attention that I did a poor job explaining my cyclocross race on Sunday. I acknowledge my sub par write up but I was feeling rushed and blah blah...but here's a little re-cap I was thinking about:

Race Start 12:15PM
I arrived at the park at about 10:00AM..I like to be early for things and this was no exception. I walked around and registered and then proceeded to find the bathroom before heading back to my car and getting my things in order. Scott showed up around 10:45. This means that at about 11am I mounted my first "mountain" bike. Now this is interesting because they pedals are a lot different than my road ones...mtn bike pedals are made for quick release and especially in cyclocross since you are constantly jumping on and off you bike. Needless to say this took some getting used to and even during the race I struggled to clip into the pedals many times. I can only imagine what the experienced riders were thinking when they saw me pedaling like crazy trying to clip in but still not wanting to lose speed in the heat of the race. Alright so at about 11:15 Scott and I start riding around the course while the Masters Men and Women are racing..my division, "Open" goes off after them. So as we are riding around to get warm and I am just trying my best to get this pedal thing down. Then comes the fun parts..I need to learn how to jump on and off my bike and good speed, hurdle barriers, jump steps, run across bridges, run up steep hills, avoid flying into a creek, etc...So you know my 1/2hr warm up pretty much covers that...haha I think I only wiped out once while we were warming up but this was only a pre-cursor for the fun to come. As I approach the start line with everyone else I notice that its pretty much a cluster...I have no idea where I should start so I just come up upon someone I recognize and start chatting. This guy I came up next to happened to be the joker who finished one place ahead of me in the 5k the previous day..good guy! So anyway, finally a friend of Scott (who's letting me used his tricked out bike) shows up. His name is Mike and he's going to racing today as well. He leads me forward a bit before the start...will get back to Mike later on in this story. And were off...
Lap 1 - Congested! Lots of people trying to all go the same way. I was holding my own on most parts but going around hairpin turns and the like people were getting up right behind me and I'm sure swearing under their breath about this idiot who can't take a turn to save his life (yeah I've got some work to do) As I continue to make it around the course I escape mishap on most of the obstacles (don't worry they will get their revenge later). I notice on one of the turns later on in the course (let me explain that the course is about 1.5 miles long so you basically ride as many laps as you can in the 1hr time limit..I did 7, the winners did 8...you do the math and see if I won) so as I am turning I hear a voice in the distance, no need to look since I'd probably crash but it was my dad..Dicky C...the man..the legend had arrived to watch his prodigal son race around in the mud..nice of him to come..but he didn't bring any water!..more on that later. So the highlight of lap 1 was that as I was coming into a particular muddy section about an 1/8 of a mile before the lap ended my buddy Scott is shouting at me hammer down, make some time up!...So I do as I am told like a good boy and what happens? Well I proceed to make it through two mud holes and then attempt to "hammer down" around a corner with trees and everything lining the sides, numerous spectators, and about 6 riders on my ass...AND BOOM WIPEOUT...totally lost it in the mud and fell flat on my face...I didn't not cause a bike jam but it was a nice welcome to the sport. Scott will tell you it was his fault I fell but it wasn't I was the rider I was the one that couldn't keep my balance..I was the one with the face full of mud..thanks scott!..haha jk! So anyways the race goes on..I'd say the next moment that pops into my mind is on like lap 3..now remember I am riding a custom Gary Fisher Superfly Bike that has been outfitted with an internal hub so that I can shift without having to pedal, making it very easy when I get stuck or fall and immediately have to tackle a hill..going up in a hard gear would suck...this little gearing benefit allows me to shift into the easiest gear with no problem and never having to pedal..its really awesome. So..I am coming around a turn which goes from grass to pavement..as I take the turn the back tire kicks out and boom...I lose it, and Scott see's the whole thing...So bummed...I did not want to hurt his bike..it's so nice...LUCKILY MY knee decided to take over and take the majority of the impact...THANKS RIGHT KNEE! Needless to say the bike did not get hurt..thank the good lord, and my knee just has a little scrap..no major damage..were all good. A little later on, maybe lap 4 or 5..I've crashed about 5 times I think..a couple major that I talked about and a few more where I came unclipped from the pedals and slowed myself...and people behind me up.. I remember that at about this 5 lap point my water bottle had been drained and I was seriously thirsty..so what did I do? I chucked my water bottle to my dad when I passed him..thinking that this would spur him to fill it up and at least have it filled by the end of the race...nah the damn thing was still empty at the end, my fault for not explaining myself clearly to him. As the race went on a couple more interesting things occurred. At the barrier section where you have to jump off your bike and hurdle two wooden boards some spectator decided to drop a 1 dollar bill to try and entice a rider to stop and pick it up..needless to say 1 dollar isn't much going to do me any good...bikes are expensive and so is everything about riding and racing, so I passed this opportunity up in order to keep my feet moving..say what you will...but that 5 seconds faster I was because I wasn't suckered into taking that 1 dollar bill were worth it! Plus the money was probably on a string and the guy was just watching to totally punk some tired bike ride..(newsflash to the guy if that was his plan..better watch out because you'll take a punch to the face if some tired biker who is stingy doesn't get that george washington) On laps 6 and 7 one hill in particular where I had to get off my bike and run up the hill (others more experienced could ride up it..but I am both not an other and not experienced, so I ran up it...the first 5 times it wasn't bad...but let me tell you the last two times I had to run up this hill carrying my bike felt like I was cresting mt everest. It was painful..a good painful, but none the less it was tough..and it came right after riding on a big patch of grass where the bike just sunk right into the ground. Never having really rode off road and having all of my miles being done on the road..this was a little torturous. So..the race goes on, I don't get my water, I am doing alright..middle of the pack. Then the last lap comes...my demise is upon me. Now it starts out alright, yes I am tired, yes that hill sucked going up, yes I am slow on all the switchback turns, but I can still motor when necessary..I even pass 2 people right before the bridge crossing (but don't worry those guys will be laughing at me shortly) As I made my way across the bridge everything is good, I hope on after crossing and continue my journey..Problem 1: I can't clip into my pedals to save my life..i am pedaling hard and the sand pit obstacle is approaching, Problem 2: The sand pit is approaching Problem 3: I am almost at the pit...UT OH! As I hop of the bike with the intention of running across the sand..I totall biff it..my shoe catches the wooden outside of the sand pit area, I go down, the bike goes down, and my nifty garmin watch flys off...INTO THE SAND! Crap! Since I am an athlete and one who loves to compete for a split second I almost just said the hell with it..I'll just keep riding and make sure I finish ahead of these jokers behind me...then Matthew's brain kicked in..find the watch you dummy its worth more than 10 seconds in your first cyclocross race...needless to say I dug around, found the watch, got passed by 2-3 people and struggle through the sand. And the watch wasn't the only thing buried in the sand..I to was buried just in case you were wondering..it was a hard spill and one that I would have laughed at if I had been a spectator..luckily all the people who were previously at this location had gone to the finish line so I was saved of some public embarrassment. Moving along, I get through the sand and I am absolutely struggling with the pedals still...and their are many little hills and turns coming up..I need my feet clipped in..at the last possible second I get them in...however I have no speed and the final hills are not little..at this point I see Mike..do you remember Mike? He was Scott's friend who started the race with me..I was ahead of him the whole time! And then as soon as I decide to build sand castles he comes storming up behind me...couldn't have been a better dude though, he urged me on the final length of the course and we ended up finishing with 10 seconds of each other or so..him before me..I'll let him take that one..theirs always next week!

So that's its...I rode with Scott on some Mtn Bike trails after and had a blast. I think I ended up 27th out of 51 maybe...what can I say? that was what I did and I can't change it...but I can change this weeks race...hopefully I can use some of my 1 day off roading experience for a faster time...time will tell..but either way this sport is fun!!