Ice Race

It's another cyclocross race weekend in Columbia, TN. Same location as 2 weeks ago, but different courses from before. Saturday's race was brutal.

Start temperature was about 31 degrees, felt like 25 or so, probably felt colder (at 3:30 the weather said it was 27, felt like 21). It was awful.

There was a "puddle" on the course that was frozen. I rode through it on prinicipal. I chalked up the race as experience and to say I raced in freezing temps back when I was "young."

I got a better start then before, well I had several racers behind me going into the first corner rather then being too cautious and being dead last. Anyway, the course was completely on grass, back and forth in long straightaways. No mud, nothing technical, except a couple corners. Nothing bad. There was one spot were we rode uphill for 30m, had to jump off and cross those barriers they like to set up, and go uphill another 30m. After crossing the barriers and running 10m or so to a "flat" spot, I could get on the bike and grind up the hill. Then the fun began by riding around a curve and up a long hill. I didn't need to get off the bike and run up the hill, but it would have been faster I think. I was going about walking speed, like grandma walking speed.

I finished somewhere in the middle of the group, but was the highest placed rider in the race from my team (of 3 or 4). Results were posted at the site but they were wrong. The guy they had coming in second wasn't even there!! Anyway, we split up on the course pretty quick and for the last half of the race I had no one I could catch in front of me and no one behind me that could catch me unless I crashed or something. So no real motivation to go faster, but I couldn't go faster anyway. Scott = sloth.

After the race, I hacked up a lung and couldn't breathe for a minute or two. It was painful. Then we all got in our respective cars/trucks and cranked the heat for 10-15 min. After thawing out, we changed and swapped stories.

Upon getting home, I "washed" the bike. This of course involves of the use of water. I sprayed off the bike and was "drying" it and realized it had frozen!!! My chain was all icy. So I said "oh well" and took it inside and showered.

Bec took a lot of great picts today and Nick enjoyed the cyclists as always.


I'm in the orange long sleeve jersey in the middle, if you couldn't figure that out. The guy in front of me is wearing the usual Cumberland Transit jersey. I'm wearing a cycling vest (with old CT pattern) over my heavy warm gear rather than wear my short sleeve jersey with arm warmers, which is no where near warm enough for me. I wasn't too cold racing, so I chose my clothes appropriately. I was actually afraid I'd be too hot. I generate a lot of heat when racing.


Barriers

Bec and the wife of a teammate screamed "smile," so I mustered a weak grin.

Hating life.


Glad it was over. Yes, that is a flaming Bass Pro hat. All I could find at the moment that was warm and dry.

There's a race Sunday, but I think I might stay home as I'm driving to Vicksburg Monday. I might be too wiped out to drive safely, so I may just sleep and stay warm.

I'm crazy. It is however a lot of fun, contrary to the faces I make.