A season of learning, laughing, and finally some success.

Photo Credit Rick Rasmussen

This cross season has been a special treat and a nice bit of fresh air to a stale road racing season.
Some of the highlights were having my wife really enjoy the bike and being together at the races. Being starving maniacs at the end of a race day and feasting after a hard day of racing.
The biggest enjoyment were the people. I think I met some new friends and enhanced friendships with teammates.

Yesterdays final CCCX race was an example of excellent sportsmanship, good times, and hard suffering. On my second race of the day doing the Single Speed As a pack of Roaring Meeses offered some good natured heckling with the kind of energy only Nor Cal cross racers can provide. I loved every second of it and looked forward to that section of the course each time around. Each lap the heckling and encouragement would waken the mind and get me focused for a another painful climb.
And there is nothing like Big Timmy S. jumping out from behind a tree to get the adrenalin pumping for a final slog through the trees of Fort Ord.

Some other faces in the crowd:
Lauren and Morgan were at every race with smiles and words of encouragement, showing the true essence of sportsmanship and fun.
Gotta give a big thanks to Shane and family who worked like dogs to put on the LARPD Cross Series. It was very cool having races less than 2 miles from the front door.
Rod, Keith, and David from CCCX deserve a special applause for some of the best run racing and most creative course design, every race offered something unique and different.

Taking cross a little more seriously has offered a season of learning that will definitely help get me off to a good start next year. The seasoned crossers are always there with good advice and willingness to help for those eager to learn.
I learned a lot about tires, geometry of the bike, and some good stretching and massage techniques. Thanks to all.

Topping off this great season with wins at my last three events was a very nice way to finish what started of as a dismal season. Fitness and technique finally came around.

Now to get ready for road/mountain bike season and to train hard for Single Speed Worlds, I got word that I am in.
The training may mean doing some conversion to the Specialized and running the Single Speed in some road races and again at Nevada City like in 2003.


Nome Out (as in passed out from exhaustion)