Cross Practice/Clinic completed.  It has confirmed some thoughts I have been having. 

I need the practice.

This is gonna hurt.

I am most likely going to hurl.

I am busy as @#$% next 3 weekends.

This is gonna be fun.

To Recap.  I went to Cyclocross practice taught by Kris Auer Owner of Twenty 20 cycling in Baltimore and director of C3 Athletes serving Athletes.

We practiced dismounts and remounts at first.  This was helpful because I have only raced one cyclocross race in my life and it was 17 years ago.  I was riding my mountain bike and form wasn’t an issue.  It was more about survival.  Anyone remember the Cross races put on by Guy’s at the Buckingham vineyard?  The runup was the opposite side of a creek after descending into the creek bed.  Hmm I distinctly remember throwing up then lying in the cool mud to recover. 

Back to dismounts and remounts.  Wednesday we learned the value of “back foot” dismounts for tight corners and up hill barriers.  We all rode around the field and randomly hopped off and back on the bike.  Kris taught a great trick about remounting and how not to hop directly on your “junk” or “stuff”.  “Aim for the inner thigh and slide onto the saddle, take your time if need be and don’t look like superman remounting the bike.

After this we practiced 180 degree turns with a dismount.

After we finished this Kris decided it was time for relay laps.  We paired up with a partner and “raced” a course that was laid out.  I was paired with Elizabeth Harlow.  She is super nice and FAST.  It’s a good thing that this wasn’t an actual race or she would have been pissed at drawing the short stick. (that’s me).  She started first round and that ensured that I was toward the front every time.  This was probably good training for the fast kids on how to pass people, because they kept doing it at a regular clip.  

We did three sets of two laps each and it cemented in the feeling that I will hurl.  Hopefully its outta camera range when it happens.

After the simulated race laps we practiced starts.  Six sprints for maybe 50 yards and then repeat.  It was a good thing too.  I’m certainly rusty there.  Second start I missed my pedal and promptly slammed it straight into my shin.  I was gonna go for the bruise pic but the bruise is so deep it hasn’t come out yet.  But it’s coming I can feel it.  I felt like I could get out ok, but cant carry that pace.  People have been talking about these things called intervals.  They sound painful and alot like work.  

It’s gonna be a busy weekend bicycle riding, spectating bicycle racing at the Univest Grand Prix, The Sunday race is in my hometown. Then it’s onto Trade show season.  A quick trip to Montreal for Expo Cycle is on tap and then the hurry up and get ready for Interbike.

Have a good one and get into that cross state of mind.  Have one (or more) of these.

Practice random acts of Radness.