First cross race complete. I think my muscles held up much better than my lungs. I got a chest cramp about three laps in, Mom guessed we did seven laps of probably 1.75mi or so. Maybe when the results are posted online we’ll get more information. I placed about 47th of 60 or so that appeared to finish in my category. According to the last results I saw I was second to the last person who wasn’t lapped, but Mom was sure otherwise. No matter though, I did pretty well for my first cross experience.

I ran into a new Cross friend after my race and she asked how I liked the clinic on Saturday. When I told her I didn’t make it because I was out friday night drinking at bike parties and too hung over to do much Saturday, she said “I like the way you race”.

A friend saw me and contemplated yelling “Go Beardo!“, which is awesome.

Because I bought a season pass and showed up to the kick-off party right on time, I ended up with bib #1 for the season. It’s been a great conversation starter as people ask me about it. The best was today when a woman yelled “hey number #1” from her car, and wend I turned around she apologized for having her pants down and being half naked whilst changing.

Besides Bike Sabbath, Meg and Colin road out separately, although no one made it out early enough to see me race it was nice that they came.

I road back with Bike Sabbath to around Eastlake and continued home from there alone. With another 20+ miles tacked on and not a great sleep last night, I’m definitely pooped now. I’m sort of fighting to keep distracted to not go to sleep this early and wake up at three or four.

Bar end shifters are definitely all but worthless. I need to swap them for the brifters on the Volpe. These “road cross” tires are going to be useless in the mud too. I was most uncomfortable in the woods sections I think, maybe I should go down to the Colonnade or over to Pack Forest sometime. I’m also still too programmed to try to clip one foot in as I get on the bike to be able to remount that large frame that quickly. Between the two options, practicing jumping on the seat is probably cheaper than finding another frame. I can’t really afford more parts right now between building what I did and the xtracycle. So we’ll see how all that goes.