Being a Starter
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a Fall bike ride with the Davidson D-Plus and Novara Trenta
It was a thin liner and thick shell or thick liner and thin shell day. Daily ride decisions to make in the Pacific Northwest when the leaves are falling, the mornings are foggy, and the perma-gray sky blankets the Sound. While everyone else raced Cross at Magnuson Park including Mark V, I rode 3 hours with Gluckman on the Mercer Island Loop. The first two hours were spent waiting for my embro’d legs to feel good after racing at St. Edwards Park the day before – they were blown and so was I.
After this race, Mark drunk texted me about tire pressure, “on a rough course I usually bottom out twice.” Photo: Woodinville Bicycles
I arrived 2 hours early for the start of the Crosstoberfest Masters Elite race. Plenty of time, ‘cept the race start had moved up 2 hours and I didn’t get that important memo. Last week’s teachable moment in Cross was finish the f’ing race. This week it’s start the f’ing race. Even if you arrive as it’s staging and your warmup consists of the promoter pinning a number on your back. Then on lap one you stop for a single track nature break cause you properly hydrated all morning. To those watching the race, yep I was off the back in the first course-tape chicane and doing that to not blow and dropout or ride off the course into the woods.
After getting caught by Russie who passed me again later to win, I started doing more than pedaling and tried to put in an effort worthy of the field. Not a moment of that felt good, but I finished intact and last.
Props to those that encouraged me on Saturday including Matt Hill who insisted I start, Russie who said, “yeah it’s go time” and Lori who added, “good to have you out here regardless of the start time.” It was good to be out there, even if it didn’t go quite according to plan. Noticing how frustrated I was post race, Russie also said, “hey say something positive.”
He’s right, so I wrote this story. Oh and Sunday’s decision was a thick merino wool liner with a Gore ActiveShell and once my legs opened up, I hit it a bit for the Mercer sprints, hoping they’ll feel good next weekend for another Cross race.