the weekend has passed

this guy is too lazy to get off his bike to clear the barriers


the weekend has passed


was feeling sick and weak at the tail end of last week
my body was kind enough to spare me any sickness over the weekend
went to bed feeling an ache and a soreness that felt like the early stages of the flu on freiday night
stairs were beyond awkward as my knees and back were intensely sore
my ride home on the bike had been as direct as possible
as well as remarkably slow
yet somehow I woke Saturday morning feeling pretty darn good

so in the morning lisa went to yoga while I watched the boys
then we did the swap
I went to yoga while she took the boys
making the exchange of cars and children outside of the yoga studio
then that afternoon I chased the boys around a local skate park
no one really skated
as no one can really skate
dean is five and grant is two... not much skating at that stage of life
the boys enjoyed the thought of being at a skatepark just the same
they ran and climbed on the ramps and quarter pipes
sliding the boards without bodies on the rails
playing the moves through their heads
doing some parkour
and just being boys

saturday night there was a party down the block
a friend was turning 40
knowing it was going to be a late night I opted for the late race
late night would not mesh well with an early rise

PVC was good enough to split the 35+ category into A and B
yet, the early 35+ B race was earlier than I desired
so I decided to drive up with my brother for the noon start of the 35+ Elite group

knowing I was potentially out classed I approached the race with the best possible attitude

my season had long since ended
the intensity and frequency of my rides had dropped significantly
yet, I figured I could sneak in one more race before the calendar flipped to zero seven
even if cross does not express any of my strengths
even if I am far from being a member of the Elite 35+ Class

the race went as expected

the slow pre-ride of the course was really all that I needed
had I not just spent 40 dollars on the entry fee I would have been content watching from the sidelines

I approached the startline accepting my back of the pack destiny

the course was a classic cross course with a country feel
there were some sections of road for big ring power
there was enough mud to make things squirrelly at times
a few too many gravel sections for my tastes
and the sections of roots caused not just anxiety but also the need to slow down
as I was not rocking the TUFO tubular clinchers but running low PSI just the same
by the time my car was on the roof of the car the rear was flat

the race had a spirit of le lantern rogue
the cake song going the distance played through my head
I raced much of the course alone
correction
I rode much of the course alone
there were points were I duked it out in the back of the pack
but... eventually i was gapped by the other racers in the back as I lacked what it took to hang even with the other back of the pack scrubs

in the end I did not finish last
there were still a few behind me as well as those that DNFed
pretty much where I expected to be

my goal was achieved
I got out and raced
managed to get on my bike and push myself on a great course

sure I would have been in a higher finishing number had I raced in the appropriate class
but there would not have been too much of a difference in my performance
maybe a surrounding of a more similar pack of racers would have inspired me
but it is unlikey that I would have found a different set of legs or lungs for that event
things worked out fine
there were times when I felt like quiting
wished for a flat
but braved through
my head pounded
not from the red wine of the night prior
but due to the symptoms of the flu that still lingered within me

after my race I stayed around to catch some of the other race

the rest of the day went well
the night hwad the unique experience of a power outage
and the morning arrived with the return of my cold
I was thankful that my body was able to grant me the pleasures of the weekend
although I am not so excited that I am battling what seems to be the flu
my body aches all over
weakness is one of the main symptoms
this is going to be a brutal week with work

it is a great feeling having the season behind me
the season had it varying successes and it wide range of failures
no real considerations for next season
rather than planning I will just take things as they come
there are the various multi-lap events that attract my attention as well as the Shenadoah Mountain 100 that eluded me this year
other than that
just hope to get out on the bike
to build on this season will be enough for me

there were some strong Clydesdale finishes
as well as some solid 35+ finishes
next year I turn 40