NCCX Race #1

First cyclocross race of the Fall Series was today at Bond Park in Cary.  I was waffling about going to the race Thursday & Friday, but talked to Dallas Friday evening and since he registered, I couldn't not register/race.  My hesitation was due to the fact that I haven't been on the cx bike since probably March and the weather forecast was calling for 60-80% rain for the time of my race (12:30pm).  But, rain is good in cyclocross!!!  Makes it a lot more fun, especially when you can get all muddy!

I arrived around 11:30-11:45a, enough time to get myself ready and over to Registration to pick-up my number, take a lap or two around the course.  It didn't really seem to be too hard of a course until you came upon the very steep downhill, leading to a long run-up and then back down.  Oh boy.  That run-up & back down was something else.  I just got off the bike and either pushed it or carried it up the hill, doing the same on the downhill side.  Just didn't have enough confidence to ride down, but stopped about 2/3 of the way down and hopped back on.  After that section, it was a long stretch running by the Start/Finish, rinse/repeat.

I get lined up for my race, near the front (learned my lesson about starting in the back from the Wolfpack Classic Road Race in February) and we're off!  Of course, I hammer with the group, but very fastly realize that I better knock it down a notch, as there is no way for me to keep that pace up for 30min.  I settle into a pace I think I can ride for 30min and just do my race.  I get passed by men, women, and children!  But, I just keep on going...2 laps down and when I get to the S/F, I'm told I have 2 more laps!  Holy Crap!! Thankfully, I knew I would only have one more at the pace I was going. 

So, last lap, coming out of the woods to the steep hilly section, there is a woman in pink ahead of me.  She gets to the top first, hesitates a bit and I catch up to her.  We both walk the bikes down the hill a bit, she hops on her's but has trouble and almost falls.  I'm on mine and see my hole....I get clipped in and then turn to the final stretch....it's a sprint between Pink and myself and I beat her to the line by, maybe, half a wheel length.  YES!! :)


Afterwards, I meet Dallas and we talk about the race a bit, then I go change, check the results and discover that I am not DFL!!!  Awesome, because I was figuring that I might be last or next to last.  I placed 16th out of 19 women in the CX4 race.   Hang around for a bit to get pictures of the fast guys, then head on home.


Tomorrow, I'll be back at it for the 2nd race of the series. 


Pictures from the race:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, finally, the pizza I made for my lunch/supper this evening.  Spicy Italian Sausage, sauteed peppers/mushrooms/zucchini, spinach, jalapeno's, fresh mozzarella, and thinly sliced roma tomatoes.