I hear a lot of people talking about their favourite season being something other than Summer. That's like saying cats are your favourite pet. Sure they can look pretty and some are even fun to play with, but at the end of day, dogs have so much more to offer. So as Summer evenings start to cool, I get a little pang of sadness. But then I remember #crossiscoming.
My cx season started a bit differently this year with the brand-new XCX marathon at Canmore Nordic Centre. I opted for the shorter 35km (2-lap) course. Lap 1 was my typical pass people on the ups, get passed on the downs. But after one lap I had no major mechanicals and the cantilever brakes weren't the issue I thought they may be. And then lap 2 hit me like a young pitbull with zoomies. Three flat tires and a dropped chain. Turns out I signed up for a duathlon. But the course was awesome and I'll definitely be back next year...with 40mm tires.
Up next was an unseasonably early Beans 'N Barley. It took me a while to find my legs, by which point the lead group was well gone. By lap 3 a group of seven had formed, with me pulling the group around for the next lap and a half. The pace was fast enough that a draft was beneficial, but also technical enough that I was happy to be out front with a chance to pick my own line. But halfway through lap 4, the six guys behind me went by and my overcooked legs couldn't respond. I battled for a few minor placings and ended up 23rd of 46. Something to work with for the season.
Day 2 of the weekend brought Pumphouse Cross. A course better suited to my skill set (if you can call anything I do in cx skillful). Today's lesson: I really need to work on my starts. The heat itself rarely bothers me, but the dry, slick grass due to the heat was a different story. Especially on the off cambers. But a flowing PHCX course landed me another middle of the pack finish (19/41). It wasn't that long ago I was battling not to be DFL (dead fu...uh, flipping last) in Novice. So at least these 40 year old legs are taking me in the right direction.
Next up was the joint RMCC-Bicisport weekend in Canmore. I only raced Saturday and volunteered Sunday. On Saturday I had my first ever call-up into the final slot (at the start of the race, up to 8 racers can be called to the starting grid based on ABA or UCI points...I'm not sure how I ended up there). But confirming starting position matters, I had my best result of the young season. I made a couple of technical mistakes and the uphill right after the barriers seemed to get steeper and longer each lap. But Dezz kept me updated on my positioning and sitting 13th on the last lap gave me an extra kick. I just couldn't close in on the top 10. Final result: 12/36. (Side note: great to have my friend Carol come out to watch and excited to try cyclocross herself despite watching us all suffer. Yes!)
Didn't I commit to doing more regular blog entries last time so as not to keep you so long? My apologies. Good news is, this is the last race you have to read about before you can go back to petting all the puppies (or cats, if you're so inclined). Organizers had to move the Jim Horner CX last minute due to the wet weather and City of Edmonton regulations. Turns out it wasn't such a bad move. Having no idea what to expect, I pre-rode the course and then promptly headed back to the car to put my mud tires on. Mud. Energy zapping uphills. Soft gravel. Two sets of barriers. Temperatures going from cool to oh-my-god-why-did-I-choose-to-wear-knee-warmers-and-a-base-layer. And about 10 minutes longer of red-lining it than we're used to. Sounds fun, eh? I started this race literally at the back of the 35-man field. (Rick and Twyla surprised us by showing up at the race, so I was chatting with them pre-race. So it's all Rick's fault. I won't blame Twyla cuz she's badass and I'm scared of her. But really guys (like really real), awesome to see you out there). I made my way up to midpack after one lap and then fought back and forth with 3 or 4 of my biggest temporary enemies for the rest of the race. I don't remember a cross race ever hurting as much as this one. No cool down at the end, I just fell off my saddle into the grass after crossing the line. 16/35. And the post-race beer tasted especially good.
On the next episode of Flying Scotsman & Friend, Friend does Deadgoat Supercross. Stay tuned.
