Niv got to spend some time in Manhattan this weekend. It was a real treat for him and us. I don't think he could fully grasp what was going on, with him being three months old today. He even got to hang out with his uncle David for a while when we went to our friends' wedding in Brooklyn. We were all over the place this weekend. We got to catch up with tons of friends and Niv even met some people for the first time. He won them over pretty easily. Niv even got his first subway ride, although I missed it because I was in New Jersey racing cyclocross.
I was three days short of making it exactly eight years between cyclocross races. I didn't really have high expectations. I caught a ride to the race with Andy from NYC Velo. It was really good to catch up with him and to have him brief me on the finer points of preparing for a race. It was a really long time.
The course was pretty muddy from all the rain this weekend. There was one run-up as long as the group was all together and one set of barriers. The rest was slick but ridable. Andy's main piece of advice was don't be too aggressive because I'll be starting at the back. I don't have any points in the series warranting a call-up to the front for the start.
I really wish I took his advice. After the first hill I punched it hard as it flattened out. Actually, I punched it hard up the hill and passed a bunch of people there too. I guess I just kept going. In an effort to pass some people I went left. I didn't see the root sticking up out of the ground. I went from riding upright to on the ground instantaneously. Ouch. Ouch. I mostly blasted my left knee to pieces. I looked down and saw an indentation in my knee from a bolt on the stem. I didn't feel very good. I knocked my front wheel crooked in the dropout and broke a spoke. Later I also found that I put a toe spike from my shoe through one side of my carbon rim. That could be expensive to fix.
After letting everyone in the race pass me; that is what remained of the 75 person field, I got on my bike and soldiered on. I started to feel good too. I picked people off left and right. I really started drilling it. I passed people on straights, corners in mud, uphill, downhill, everywhere. Granted, if they were super-strong they would be at the front.
One of the most fun things about cyclocross are the fans. On the steep uphill in the mud I earned a lot of respect by riding it instead of running. It was pretty cool. People that saw me ride it were cheering for me there and on other parts of the course.
It was also great to have all the riders in front of me. If I crashed and had no one around I would have either, a) quit or b) rode much easier. I even thought about it in the middle of the race but saw someone up the course and picked him off too. And then kept going.
I was sure that I would finish in 50th place or so. I was surprised to check the results and find myself in 24th, with 2 points towards my overall ranking in the Verge Mid-Atlantic Cyclocross Series. I was pretty happy with the result. Unfortunately, once I stopped riding my knee stiffened up. And then got stiffer throughout the day. It feels a bit better now but not so great.
I'm hoping someone will post pictures of the race somewhere so I could slap one up here.
When we got home last night and I hobbled up the stairs Niv seemed to have found his voice. He opens his mouth wide and lets it rip. Not screaming, not crying, just talking. I'm sure he thinks he's saying something. It might be that he's super excited that Barack Obama will be president in two-plus months. And today is his 3 month birthday. He's celebrating by sleeping on my lap while I type this.
I was three days short of making it exactly eight years between cyclocross races. I didn't really have high expectations. I caught a ride to the race with Andy from NYC Velo. It was really good to catch up with him and to have him brief me on the finer points of preparing for a race. It was a really long time.
The course was pretty muddy from all the rain this weekend. There was one run-up as long as the group was all together and one set of barriers. The rest was slick but ridable. Andy's main piece of advice was don't be too aggressive because I'll be starting at the back. I don't have any points in the series warranting a call-up to the front for the start.
I really wish I took his advice. After the first hill I punched it hard as it flattened out. Actually, I punched it hard up the hill and passed a bunch of people there too. I guess I just kept going. In an effort to pass some people I went left. I didn't see the root sticking up out of the ground. I went from riding upright to on the ground instantaneously. Ouch. Ouch. I mostly blasted my left knee to pieces. I looked down and saw an indentation in my knee from a bolt on the stem. I didn't feel very good. I knocked my front wheel crooked in the dropout and broke a spoke. Later I also found that I put a toe spike from my shoe through one side of my carbon rim. That could be expensive to fix.
After letting everyone in the race pass me; that is what remained of the 75 person field, I got on my bike and soldiered on. I started to feel good too. I picked people off left and right. I really started drilling it. I passed people on straights, corners in mud, uphill, downhill, everywhere. Granted, if they were super-strong they would be at the front.
One of the most fun things about cyclocross are the fans. On the steep uphill in the mud I earned a lot of respect by riding it instead of running. It was pretty cool. People that saw me ride it were cheering for me there and on other parts of the course.
It was also great to have all the riders in front of me. If I crashed and had no one around I would have either, a) quit or b) rode much easier. I even thought about it in the middle of the race but saw someone up the course and picked him off too. And then kept going.
I was sure that I would finish in 50th place or so. I was surprised to check the results and find myself in 24th, with 2 points towards my overall ranking in the Verge Mid-Atlantic Cyclocross Series. I was pretty happy with the result. Unfortunately, once I stopped riding my knee stiffened up. And then got stiffer throughout the day. It feels a bit better now but not so great.
I'm hoping someone will post pictures of the race somewhere so I could slap one up here.
When we got home last night and I hobbled up the stairs Niv seemed to have found his voice. He opens his mouth wide and lets it rip. Not screaming, not crying, just talking. I'm sure he thinks he's saying something. It might be that he's super excited that Barack Obama will be president in two-plus months. And today is his 3 month birthday. He's celebrating by sleeping on my lap while I type this.
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2 comments:
i'm glad you survived! 24th place and 2 points-that's awesome! post pictures when you get them, and some from the weekend in nyc and the wedding!!!
and niv totally is saying something - he's saying he misses his aunt sivy!
Thank you for letting me babysit Niv. It was so great spending time with him!
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