Downpours and the yuckiest mud can not keep people away. It kept some away, but almost 600 people showed up to race on Sunday. The weather deteriorated on Saturday late in the evening and all I could hear was pouring rain. I knew it was going to be a messy one. It was raining when I woke up too, but the day was actually quite pleasant. The damage had been done, however.Cornfields and farmland + rain + 100's of cyclists on a course = a greasy mess!!!
I really have not seen anything like it. It was crazy. From parking and cars stuck everywhere to the doggy cx race, it reassured me that Portlanders will never get sick of cross.
Tim and I drove out there after noon and saw the damage from the morning. It was going to be interesting. We each only brought one bike, because we thought it would be nice to only have to clean one. It was a good and bad idea. If there was ever a race two bikes would have made a huge difference, along with a pit person and a power washer, it was this one, but that was all to much to be bothered with.
Tim and I took a very nice ride out the the end of Sauvies Island as our warm up and at our 3 p.m. start , we still had clear skies, but it was getting chilly. My race went fairly smooth. Alice rode with me for a lap and a half and then I didn't see her again. I had to stop several times to take grass and crap out of my fork and brakes so I could pedal. I actually detached my rear brake during the second lap. And I thought Ryan Weaver was crazy to suggest it. It was the key. I can't believe I survived without ripping off a derailleur. My bike weighed so much going over the barriers I could hardly lift it. But the crowd was amazing as usual and I was cheered on to victory. The slippery mud in the corn maze was actually kind of fun. In a really sick way, I enjoyed myself. Yep, I am crazy too!!!
My bike was SOOOO heavy!
My new breathing technique. Do I get more oxygen this way?
Game face. Concentrated on not slipping and falling.
There was a lot of this.
And a lot of this.
Tim and I took a very nice ride out the the end of Sauvies Island as our warm up and at our 3 p.m. start , we still had clear skies, but it was getting chilly. My race went fairly smooth. Alice rode with me for a lap and a half and then I didn't see her again. I had to stop several times to take grass and crap out of my fork and brakes so I could pedal. I actually detached my rear brake during the second lap. And I thought Ryan Weaver was crazy to suggest it. It was the key. I can't believe I survived without ripping off a derailleur. My bike weighed so much going over the barriers I could hardly lift it. But the crowd was amazing as usual and I was cheered on to victory. The slippery mud in the corn maze was actually kind of fun. In a really sick way, I enjoyed myself. Yep, I am crazy too!!!
My bike was SOOOO heavy!
My new breathing technique. Do I get more oxygen this way?
Game face. Concentrated on not slipping and falling.
There was a lot of this.
And a lot of this.
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