My ankle protested from this summer's sprain, my lower back was in knots, my lungs tightened from the cold air, my windpipe was clogged with thick phlegm, and my mouth was completely dry... So I consider it a miracle that I completed 3 full laps of my very first cyclocross race today in the Masters event. A fourth lap just wasn't in me.. I wanted to be fit enough to drive home afterwards! I must salute all of those who tore up the course today... that felt harder than any road race I've ever done. yet strangely... I want to do it again! No, that's just regret talking. DNF's will do that to you.. make an empty glass seem full... My least favorite part of the course? The soft mushy grass fields where the wind pushed me around like a plastic bag... The barriers and run-up were fun. I dismounted reasonably well, for one who practiced it for only the first time ever, this morning. What got me was the sedentary lifestyle I've adopted since Jamestown... and that cold air- my lungs don't like it one bit. After quitting, I hacked and coughed up- I swear to you- not less than 3 or 4 ounces of the thickest phlegm I've ever seen. No wonder I couldn't get enough air! Some water might have helped... Am I the only fool who got thirsty? Does anyone carry a small amount of H2O in their back pocket??
Overall, I'm pleased with myself, believe it or not. Going up there took some courage and resolve. True, I cursed the day that I bought a cross bike, with every pedal stroke and every clumsy leap over the barriers... But in the end, I couldn't stop thinking about the next event, whatever it may be... I must have been dropped on my head as a child...
Great to finally meet Solobreak and see GeWilli today... BTW, do I get any points for not crashing in my first cross race? At some point, Solobreak went past me, and I was happy for it... that kind of suffering should only take place in private, and I wanted to be invisible.
America's #1 Balance Bike Destination
America's #1 Balance Bike Destination
2 comments:
good to hear you finally got out on a cross race. And no, most racers don't carry any water on them, you're supposed to hydrate before the race and you should be good, besides, if you're working hard enough you won't have time to take a water break.
The breathing and dry mouth, that is just the winter air. Not much you can do.
The low back pain, that used to be the story of my life in cross. It comes from two things, pushing big gears, and the pounding.
For the first, you need to strengthen you low back with gym exercises. Flexibility and hamstring strength helps too.
For the pounding, make sure your tires are not too hard (the fast guys run them incredibly soft, but of course stuff gets ruined that way). This year I went to a suspension seatpost. It is heavy, but it really helps the back out.
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