November 2013 Blog Posts (6)

This is only my second season racing 'cross, and all of that has been in the Bay Area.  I had to go up to Oregon for work, so I figured I'd take the chance to see what the cyclocross racing scene is like to the North.  .  I've heard really good things about the 'Cross Crusade series and there was a race scheduled on Sunday of the weekend I would be in Portland.  That one was on the schedule, for sure.  Saturday I could either do an Outlaw CX race in Medford or a Psycho 'Cross Pseries race in…

Morning came a little too soon Sunday.  My eyes were sore and bleary from the dusty racing the night before and my arms, leg and back were a bit worked.  I ate a big breakfast with Simon, who couldn't make the kids' race due to a birthday party commitment, and loaded up for the relatively short trip to Vallejo for the fourth race in the NorCal CX Series.  The weather was beautiful, cool in the shade and warm in the sun.  This was a newer venue that was unfamiliar to me, so I suited up to…

The Sierra Point night race was to be my first of two races for the weekend.  I don't do a lot of doubles, but I know this is a fun venue and I wanted to do the NorCal CX Series race on Sunday, so I headed down to Brisbane on Saturday evening.

I arrived with plenty of time to pre-ride the course and watch some earlier races.  It was quite an exciting scene, with lights and people everywhere.  The course was bumpy and dusty, with a few contrived patches of mud.  There were lots of…

Today was the third race of the NorCal CX Series, and the only cyclocross race of the year in Marin County.  The action happened at Stafford Lake in Novato, so it was just a thirty minute drive for me from Fairfax.  I had high hopes for a win in my home county, as I am reaching a bit of a training peak, but I have also been dealing with a lingering cold-like illness for a couple of weeks. 

Simon and I made the trip over early enough to set up the Summit Bicycles EZ Up and for him to…

I've made the Stafford  Lake race my yearly cross race.  Farm walls, transforming hay bale gardens, and stair run up are among the obstacles that I do no training for.  Nothing like a CX race to remind me I wont stay in top shape riding four hours a week. 

I started at the back of the pack and sucked dust right off the line.  I took about 90 seconds for my lungs to sting, I haven't opened them up like that for quit a while.  Going up the run up I believe I was in second to last…

Arriving 15 minutes ahead of the 7:00 AM start at Furnace Creek Ranch, put me in the second wave of 60 riders at 7:10 AM, 10 minutes behind the lead group. No bother. This was the last double of my season and I was planning on taking it easy for a change. 

I carried a camera and fully intended to take in the sights and experience of another long ride in the desert. Death Valley is an amazing place to ride; wide open vistas, the rocks and bones of the earth exposed, alluvial gravel…