Ohio is too much

After a week of hell via class work, I am finally getting to spill some information on the past weekend's excursion to Ohio for three days of UCI cyclocross racing. Looking at this weekend it is funny to say I am tripling the UCI races compared to last year. My only hope this season is to get ONE SMALLLLL UCI point so I don't have to start way in the back at UCI and National races, and also so I can place my name on the same list as the cyclocross beasts in Europe.

Kym, and Mark joined me (despite it being their anniversary) as did Jordan Humble (who ended up taking three wins in the Cat 4 races this weekend) for a hoot of a good time in Ohio.

Friday afternoon's course was tough last season. Considering the race now had three nifty letters of importance in front of it (UCI) I was convinced it would be even more difficult. Was I ever right. The course was the bumpiest thing I had ever seen. It's not too often you get to see bike steerer tubes breaking and tubulars popping off tires like zits on a junior high wrestlers face. But such was today. The race started in typical UCI fashion. Fast and hard, until turn one when some dude from the trek factory team chopped in from off the course, causing a chain reaction crash I was stuck behind. Dismounting and running I soon found myself DFL for the first half lap. The first chance I had to pass I opened it up and settled into a painful tempo. Eventually I caught and passed about 9 guys and started riding with some Swiss guy, and another guy from Alan-USA. Soon, although I am not sure how, our little group imploded and I was soon riding by myself. Luckily the race leader Jpow brightened my day by not only lapping me and making my race one lap shorter, but bunny hopping the barriers in front of me as I was forced to jump nimbly (or not) over them. Jpow 1- Dee zero.

Saturday afternoon's race was my "best case scenario. With more guys registered for the weekend's race I had a mid pack start. That meant I had more places I could drop back when I blew up and still have someone to ride with. In the warm up the course suited me. It had good flow, some great power sections, enough technical for me to take advantage of, and a nice paved climnb on the back side. When the gun shot for the start I hit my pedal perfect and put in a few huge pedal strokes. Next thing I know I am lying on a pile of people with bikes, people, and who knows what other interesting things raining down on top of me. As it would turn out, some guy thought it would be a stellar idea to hook bars in the start and end up on the ground. Thanks bud! Again I found myself picking up the pieces, hopping on the bike and starting my chase. By the mid way point I had passed a ton of guys and finally caught onto a group including Ben Popper from Rock Lobster (who's column is well worth a read) and some other guy who's uniform was a very sexy purple and yellow collaboration. As expected Jpow again zoomed by without even a wink. Although I do think he snickered the word "mortals" as he sipped effortlessly away. Here's my ego Jpow, go ahead and throw it in the blender! I wont mind. Really! In the end I rolled in a disappointed 34th. It's frustrating knowing your day was at hand, yet circumstances dictated your success. Oh well, that's bike racing.

Sunday was the final day of racing at the famous Harbin Park. This place holds a special corner in my heart as it is where I began cross racing just one year ago. The field was stacked with the normals Jpow, Wicks, Parbo, Wells, Baker, and Bishop. As if that weren't enough Summerhill and Selander came down from the great white northeast to try and get some CAT I UCI points. For the first time all weekend the start went off without a wreck and I found myself taking some chances moving up in the first few twisty grass turns. Thinking I had to move up, and being overly impatient, I took a low line on a tricky off camber and ended up losing a ton of spots. Sadly, just following this mistake everything started coming apart the rider who's wheel I was on went on to finish top 20. Well done Dave. Well done. After about a half hour of racing I was comfortable in a group of pretty good riders (including Chance Noble of Cal Giant) when something happened. I am not sure how many of you have been lucky enough to hear this sound, but if you have it is a wonderful sound similar to forest nymphs playing piccolos in the trees. Carbon, cracking and popping beneath you as it falls apart ply by ply under my 10 lb overweight rear. After clean pit my legs sut down and we were pulled with a lap to go.

In the end, I was bummed to have no achieved a goal of mine, but happy with what I had learned. I know that I took more away from this one weekend of racing than I did all last season,and I am looking to build on these things for the remainder of the year to get that UCI point.

For now, I must run. I know this post is lengthy, and a bit all over the place but I have written it three times, and for some reason my computer keeps deleting it so I am just fighting to complete it once and for all. I will get some pictures from the weekend up tonight for whoever may want to see them.

Off to Raleigh for two days of NC cross. Wish me luck.

Livin' the dream,
-Dee-