it's been awhile - USGP - planet bike cup

so...been some time since last post. need to get more consistent, although I'm not sure anyone in WI actually knows I have this blog, probably still just KC folk.
Fall is in full swing here and its been nice. cross has started and it's been rough. Last year I had crazy good fitness from all the racing I did all summer. This summer was so busy with stuff that riding/racing really took a back seat. and when i did ride/race it was generally of poor quality. The roads are great here though for riding. So now cross season has started and although I've got an acceptable amount of fitness, I've got no anaerobic power, which is a problem. Last saturday I did the first race of the WI cyclocross series "No good double cross." The course was ok in design, but it rained a bunch the day before and poured right before the first race went off. So it was pretty muddy. Some people love the mud and say that is what cross is all about, and while i don't mind it that much, i just suck in it. So, out of 37 cat 3 racers who actually finished, I came in 36. Lined up last row and didn't do much from there.

Tried to get motivated for the usgp race in madison the next weekend. did some good rides early and then my right knee went through a bit of a swelling that didn't allow me to really ride thursday, friday, and eventually i decided not to race on saturday and save it for sunday. probably a smart decision. I did however, still make the trip to watch the pro races on saturday. Pretty awesome seeing all the big names in cross tear it up in front of you. walk through the parking lot and see trebon here, molly there, stood right next to katie compton. barry wicks and trebon's bikes are very big by the way. john page is a jackass. saw all the cannondale guys, who are all much smaller in person.

sunday I lined up 5th row of about 9 rows of racers. just under 100 cat 2/3's apparently made the start. the course was pretty awesome, fast, mostly flat, some technical sections and a steep ride up followed by the same hill that you had to run up. took off and made a few passes. probably settled in somewhere 40-50th. so many racers it was tough to find open space at first. rode the first two laps fast, then I just began to fade. got a bit clumsy and had a few crashes, usually involving other people who would slow down or bobble in front of you. At the end of it I was about 7 minutes behind the leader (Andrew Coe from KC). He just about lapped me but I made it out on the final lap. Although I didn't race great, it was still fun and I wish I could ride a course like that again - really nice. I finished 67th out of 85 or something like that. eventually i'll bring it together this season. I just need more races in my legs.