Win at Barlow!

Last one Picked for Kickball
by
M. M.Blomberg
30% chance of rain Sunday and we got all 30% between 9 AM and 2 PM
so this course at Barlow was very technical.

Welcome to Cross season!

I jumped off the line
at the start to try and catch the B's that got a 30 sec head start on us Master A's/Master B's. By the time the ladies went off at 2:10 PM, the rain stopped and some of our course was sticky.
It was still very slippery in the grassy sections along the fence and in the off camber sections.

Many of the ladies took to running this to avoid sliding out. I managed a combo of both riding and running but still went down here and there. Less energy to ride it than to run it. I stayed upright for most of the first lap and missed the swarm of bees that other racers encountered throughout the day.

The down hill section to the barriers was well worn from the previous racers and the mud was getting deeper and treacherous. I took the left side of the run up (spikes in my shoes helped) and avoided the railroad tie steps all 3 times(legs are sore from the climbing with 22 lbs of Pinky on my back).

By the last lap, my bike had accumulated so much mud between the back wheel & frame, my rear wheel wouldn't spin. Other riders were having the same problem, but the mud was in their brakes.
See?
Disc brakes do have a place in Cyclocross.
Many of us had to stop & pull the mud out to get our bikes to even roll (having flashbacks of Krugers last year... UGGGHHH). I hated losing time to do this but it wasn't like I could ride and drag my wheel behind me.

I did try though.

With everyone sliding out and tripping over their bikes on the switch back sections by the start shoot, it was very hard to tell where I was in the group. I caught a glimpse of one of my regular competitors just behind me on the last half of lap 3 and it was on.
I kicked my gear up once I hit the pavement and it was a full on sprint. Hitting the final corner around the buildings, I passed a Green Submarine rider, beating her to the finish and bunny hopping the speed bumps for effect...(Bunny hop practice at Alpenrose helped).
I was pretty sure she was in the B's but didn't want to take any chances. Catherine and Sarah finished not long after me.
Awesome job ladies!
Catherine rocked her first race and she started in the B's!
None of that beginner stuff for her.

Like Eric, I had no idea I won and had to check the results once they were posted.
Hope Eric took advantage of the free bike wash they gave to the winners.
Pinky never looked so clean.

Welcome to the A's Eric.

I have also upgraded to Master A's and will be trying this out at Blind Date (All A's race together and are graded together..OMG) @ Alpenrose.
I guess racing in the dark for an hour with the fastest kids on the block will make you stronger.

Or...
make you feel like the last one picked for kick ball.