Green Mountain Sports Cross – Golden, CO

Posted by admin in Cycling, Life Sep 20th, 2009 | 4 responses

Well, for me it was the first race that I have done sine July 26th, 2009 where I rode to the Liberty Crit in Malvern PA, raced the P1/2 and rode home for 100 miles with a fast crit in the middle ( I think I was 10th). I am happy overall with my race, not my best, not my fastest and hopefully not my last. If anyone could have seen me a month ago when I was in massive pain with paralysis in my right arm ( maybe 15 percent usage), I was sure that was it for me, for riding and all things I love. It is weird how things creep up and then threaten to alter life as I know it. I am not going to harp on what happened but it surely messed me up. I have been trying to get back fitness, get back to the form, it is tough with no racing, no intensity. That is what I experienced yesterday, dead legs. The need for that top end speed. Just not there. The next few weeks I will be hitting that stuff, solo, on some long road, somewhere between hear and heaven.

The race, it was cool, dusty as hell, maybe 30-35 in the mens open elite. The course was pretty fun and felt long, but I think the laps were pretty fast now that I think about, I think we did 8 laps, around 7-8 minute laps. For me probably more like 10 minutes.

I didn’t finish last, but I did start last. I took this race with a dose of defeatest attitude right from the start. Start at the back and just ride a nice race. That is what I did, I am glad I did that, would it have mattered othewise? Nope.

We hit turn one, a left hander and I was on the last wheel, we hit the first dirt section and visibility went to zero as the dust kicked. I rode on the back for the first lap and just cruised it around, pushing the bike, learning the lines, riding a dusty and loose track within my ability but pushing to learn and enjoy the racing again. I rode solo most of the race after I got ahead of the group, the battle for the day, just me and the dust and possibility of catching the dude in front of me.