Canton Cup 2008

Cyclocross! Finally!!

I just love this sport! I'm far from good at it but I think that's my motivation to keep at it. It's such a challenge for me and so very different from triathlon.



Here's yesterday's Cat 3/4 women's start. We are waiting an extra 30 seconds for the Cat 4 men to get off the ground up ahead after a huge pile of them crashed up in front of us.
See me? I'm hiding in the back! :-)


It's a late start to the season, but better than never. Sunday was my first cx race this year. I'm not sure I can actually say I raced but rather suffered the effects of a pegged HR for way over a period of time I've experienced in the minimal training I've mustered up.



I've had a tough fall this year. The after effects of a summer race season I continued to race through not 100% healthy. Not even 80% for that matter. My determination to continue to race through the summer only seemed to dig me a rather large injury hole to try and scramble out of. This fall has been weeks of functional training and healing time. It's been a slow process and disheartening at times. One day I feel great, the next my back, my foot, or some nagging tendonitis in my bicep is bugging me. I essentially made my own injury bed and now must lie in it and let time take it's course. Live and learn I guess.



It was breezy and chilly down in Canton with a rather large field of men (135) that started 1 minute before the women. I wasn't thrilled with this thinking all I wanted to try and do was not be caught by the male leaders at some point in the race in some technical section and get tossed to the ditch like an empty Red Bull can by a fire snorting aggressive dude.

All went well and I was pleasantly surprised how unfazed I was at any area of the course that last year I literally held my breath trying to tackle which proves my skills (as minimal as they are) stuck. Also this year instead of being out on the course all by myself bringing up the rear, yesterday I was bringing up the not so distant rear (ha!) and had some women around to key off of which is oh so much more fun.


The best part of the day was seeing 2 of my Team Psycho team mates out there. Here's Jay leading the front of the 4's.

And cross prodigy Peter. First race and he's blowing the Cat 4 men out of the water. Unbelievable. He's got the engine and with some fine tuning he's be saying "bye bye" to Cat 4 racing.
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