Friday, October 19, 2007

Now I know I'm Crazy

I get so wound up when I'm promoting races that now I'm having nightmares. Sleeping well for me is about a once a week occurrence. Last night was no different. I meant to get up at 7:30 this morning so I could get all the prize bags stuffed for the COC tomorrow. Woke up around that time thinking I need to get up and do it. I ran the day before 3 miles and those running days always wipe me out so of course I fell back to sleep.

Anyway, while sleeping again I dreamt that I was at this school in the soccer field waiting for volunteers to show up, as it got later and later and I began to worry. The soccer field was filling up with soccer mom's and their off spring and I was running around telling them that they had to get off the field, so I decided to go to the trailer and start pulling stuff out and setting up the course. At some point somebody switched trailers on me because the one attached to my truck was a rusted piece of crab with junk inside it. I really started to hyperventilate at this point because at the same time I realized that I was at the wrong venue and it was only an hour till the first race. I yelled out while dream "this has to be a dream when will I wake up" of course in my dream I didn't wake up and the panic set in. I guess my mind must have became afraid and finally woke me up. I woke with a hiss of breath, my heart thumping and all sweaty. I looked around the room and at my dogs on the bed and thanked God it was only a dream. Stumbling off to the kitchen I made a strong cup of coffee and started stuffing prize bags. I've finally cracked.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Come Get A Steamin' Cup O' Cross


Okay everyone, as if MSG wasn't already great, this weekend is the big ole' Redline Cup O' Cross race. We're goin' 8 deep on the prize list with loads of quality prizes. Awesome 1.7 mile course with a sand pit, get ready to dig! Ladies and gentlemen! Do you want it? Do you need it?!
Come on out to Winged Deer Park in Johnson City and pedal till you puke!

Sunday, October 14, 2007

It's a Beautiful Day...................................

For some reason on days like yesterday at MSG #1 I think of that U2 song, not just because it was meteorologically a beautiful day, but because the whole cross thing was beautiful. All the cool people that I haven't seen since last December, all the cool bikes ( like Mike Seeks Big single speeder), the course with all the colorful tape billowing in the breeze, smiles and relaxed atmosphere, and all the little kids. When I got out of my truck that morning it was really beautiful to see all the volunteers there, best of all was my ole' buddy Bart standing there with a cup o Starbucks bold coffee with cream. Can't say enough about the volunteers you guys are awsome!

The battle of the day was the pro 1/2 race between Eric and MSG Sponsor Andy Applegate. There were only 7 that showed up and after Will Black pulled a Bookwalter and gapped everyone by about 2:00 I thought well this race is over. Not so, Eric pulled up to within a minute of the leader and had a huge gap on Andy. I thought Eric's going to take second, but slowly but surely Andy pulled back to Eric and with two to go they rode together. Exitment really started to build when the came through the turns behind the finish line. Eric was in a primo position right on Andy's wheel. I could see those big levers of Eric's twitching for the sprint. As they made the final turn Andy was still in front and winded up the sprint. Everyone was cheering their names (I didn't know who to cheer for cause I like them both), Eric started around Andy, they were neck and neck coming to the line and at the last second Andy through his bike taking the win by about a half wheel length. Thanks to you guys for making that one of the most exiting finishes I ever seen and showing us why you guys are Pros. Thanks to Bart Nave Photography for the awesome race pics like the one at the right.

There was a scary moment in the CX3, Masters race that wasn't so beautiful. Jeremy Chandler, a veteran MSG crosser, came into the barriers fast and tripped over the first one causing him to fall face first into the second one. When I came through and saw him lying their bleeding from the nose and saying his neck was hurting my hear sunk. Fortunately his dad John who is physician and his mom Susi who is a physician's assistant were there and did a great job of assessing the situation and getting him ready for transport to the hospital. Thank goodness he is okay. He fractured his wrist and busted his nose and thankfully there was no other serious injury. That made it a truely beautiful day. Can't wait to next week, promoting bike races is a lot of work but what I get from cyclocross is well worth the effort.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

MACDADDY: The video staring Wonderdog

Great video shot by otis. Eric and Andy get a lot of face time, and if you listen real close you can here the Mike's and me yelling at Eric.

Monday, October 8, 2007

The Crossman Cometh

Well, I finally feel like it's cross season. Andy Applegate hosted the MacDaddy CX Training race at Mars Hill College yesterday. The course was great except for the one big ass hill. It was unavoidable though and it would have been a shame to leave it out. I didn't do to well, (insert excuses here) last weeks pack ride was brutal, the wind was howling in every direction and since it was the last PR until April, everyone was riding as if this was their last shot of glory . The pace was extremely high, 28mph into a strong headwind. Then on Thursday we had the final of three TT's. I like our TT course although it's not for purists, with four turns, and three hills that get progressively harder it's a difficult course. I rode pretty hard and ended up with a personal best of 26.37 for 10.5 miles, my previous best time was 27.30. Anyway, getting back to the point I was pretty tired on Sunday for the MCD.

With the way I felt and that big ole' hill looming above us, s
tarting in the back was a given. I started slow not wanting to blow before getting to the the hill. We rode up a grade almost from the start until we turned into the hill side and it was to steep to ride. Then it was shoulder the bike and run or kinda shuffle your feet until you made the pavement at the top. The fun part of each lap was loosing all the elevation we gained, dropping fast, catching air over the lip of the embankments we rode down and then oodles of tight turns it was great.

Crashing didn't help my position much. I crashed in the same place on the first two laps, hit a tree root that was in the shadows. I think I took a different line through that turn then during warm-up. You should always do a hot lap at race pace before you actually do the race. Don't know where I ended up, but the second crash took the wind out of my sails and I pretty much rode in for the rest of the race.

Other highlights: Seeing Jason Morgan the NCCX champ face plant into the second barrier at speed (fortunately he was unhurt), watching this young guy bunny hop the barriers and the biggest highlight... watching Andy and Eric battle each other for two thirds of the race. It was awesome to see those guys, they are both gifted athletes. Eric finally gapped Andy on the descent and pulled away from him (big ring Eric) and was closing in on second when he ran out of road. Great job on getting third place Eric.

I'm pretty sore today, I thought that after all the CX practice we've been doing I would have been more used to things, but my spindly right arm is sore from lifting the bike so many times, and I'm stowed up from the crashes (feeling sorry for me yet?). Mike Mefford crashed too but was the best finisher of our group in the B race. Mike Patterson was like me when he saw the BAH, and used the race for training. The race served it's purpose for me though, got through the 45:00, got some crashing in, and I'm beginning to feel that tingle of exitment that is so special to CX.

Race entry fee: $10.00, 2 Crashes: sore body, Racing Cross: Priceless, The crossman cometh.