Fireman's Cross 2011 - Turning

Here begins my 3 part series about the beginning part of my CX season so that future historians may shake their heads in sorrow.  Or so I can read it next year and be somewhat inspired.

This past weekend was a double race weekend and the family, minus my wife, who was catching up, and I, headed down to Niagara for some CX fun. So dark and early, we got in the car, hoping not to have forgotten anything and rolled out.

We got there early, saw Jeff frantically taping off the course, and set up the Lapdogs tent, and convinced myself it was ok to let my kids be by themselves while I raced, watched only by the odd Lapdog who was getting ready for the next race.  That bit turned out ok.  The kids were very well behaved all things considered.

Jeff put on a great race, warming up on the course I could tell it was going to be interesting the entire time. And by interesting I mean that in the same way the old chinese proverb does.

The race started, and this time, learning from last year, I positioned myself on the front row.  Boom, hole-shot! No sooner had I reached the first twist around some trees, I spun out and almost smashed into tree two of two.

I was then 6th or 7th or something like that.

The course was dry, but very turny, and somewhat technical with lots of sketchy bits and loose sections and roots in a couple of the corners. It featured a couple, "don't fall in the pond" sections, a run up, and a bunch of up and down.

I lost a meter every turn and finished probably a km behind.  Mid pack. 6/11.

I needed to be way better at stomping on the pedals out of corners and at holding speed through turns.  A lot better.

It was really uneventful other than that.  The organization was fantastic except for the fact that I didn't get a t-shirt or a new set of wheels.

The kids loved the kids race, and then rode the entire course as they were taking down the tape.  Not bad for 6 and 8.

Seeing the few other Lapdogs that showed up was fun.  I like people.  Despite what you might think. Wait, I hate people.  Mainly. Except for people who are like me.

We then headed off the the hotel for a dip in the pool, dinner with Mike and Kevin and their SOs. Meat, laughs, bike talk.  Fun times, good people.

 

Then on to day two.

Comments

[Kevin]

Rob, you flatter me with a picture when there were so many fast racers there worth shooting. Must be the 'stache!

Kevin

[Rob]

Apparently it's the thing to do. You and Moog were definitely making a statement.

[Jeff Moote]

Thanks for the kind words about the course and organization. I'm glad nobody went in the pond! It was definitely a course for getting up on the pedals out of the many corners.

Sorry I didn't have any shirts left in your size. I underestimated just how small on average cyclists are and have only larges left. Next year more mediums and smalls, less larges.

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