Ugh, SCC#2 The Dawgs are Barkin!

Today was the second Seattle Cyclocross Series race at Evergreen HS in White Center. The course was a schmorgisboard of grass, dirt, sand, singletrack, barriers, run-ups, and off camber technical sections. It had a little something for everyone. The folks at SCC dont like to discriminate. Last year this race was bombarded by a wet and dirty start. Not the case this year as the thermometer tipped 66F or 292.04 Kelvin for those of you are into chemistry like me. How baller is that! As we lined up at the start, local jokester and good friend of mine Derik Andrioli tried to pass me after the call-ups before the race even started. I knew what he was up to so I had to chop him before he got around me. I almost ended his racing carreer right then and there...that guy better watch out from now on.

Pow! (gun sound) and were off to circle the running track and then onto a grassy up-hill turn. Strangely enough there were no catastrophic wrecks in the first fer corners. So we cruised through some flat and grassy corners, snaked around a baseball field that I once hit a homerun on when I was like 13, and on to the first run-up. It was short and easy, I didnt even have to shoulder the bike. There is too much traffic at this point so when we get to the big run-up I decided to let my Kenyan roots show and bound up the sandy hill like a gazelle. I think I took the whole thing in like three strides. The rest of the first lap was mostly grassy turns and a couple of off camber downhill corners. The hardest part of the race was in the first quarter of the lap, the rest was just pure fun. I really dont know why more people aren't more sado-massacistic as we cyclocross racers. It's actually a really good time!

So on lap 3, not unlike the Huskies an Saturday night vs. ASU, the perverbial bottom dropped out. I quickly found out that I went out the gates way too hard and on the flat fast sections all I could do is try and recover. Oops! Having been sick all week and not touching the bike untill Saturday afternoon I may have wanted to think that through a little better.
New goal, dont let Andrioli (Joe Bar) catch up to me. I think he would have tried to crash me out. That guy, he's crafty. By the way Im watching the seakawks get obliterated right now as Im writing this and im getting pretty pissed off. Reggie Bush is killing us. Not that I care about any other sports other than cycling. Those guys cant even test positive for the steroids that their on. Ha. If you can't do that, what can you do?

So long story short I finished somewhere in the top 30 or 40, who really cares, but I had a blast and you could too if you got off your butt and came out and RACED YOUR BIKE! (Mercedeszzzzzah). BNW's F Joe Hambo had a good race again taking 10th despite stoping half way into the race to give a dying squirrell a prolonged beard rub, virtually saving its little furry life. And they gave the Nobel Prize to Al Gore for all that global warming crap he does. Ha. What has this country come to?

Other notable performances of the day include Adrian Hegevary, riding to the race from Redmond on his fixed gear cross bike that weighs 30+ lbs. and then passed me with ease durring the race. Also young speedster Benny of Rad Racing actually winning the race! Which is really the best out of all those.

See yall next week!

Nick B. (The Former-Milk Scientist)

Coppercross 2007 (Dr.B's True Hollywood Stories)

So the first annual AVA/Counterbalance Coppercross Cyclocross Race went off last Sunday at South Setac park. If you missed it make note of the other races going on at South Seatac this season because it is one of the best courses around. Coppercross was a true test of power and bike handling skill. The occasional 747 flyby breaking the sound barrier is exciting for the kiddies as well.

The course was twisty and loose, and resembled a cross-country mountain bike course which made it interesting for the skinny tires to navigate. The early category races remained dry under overcast skies but rain later that afternoon didn't seem to slow anyone down.

The main spectator feature of the race was the tri-fecta of three consecutive sandy run-ups. It was definitely a lung burner. The last of the three I would equate to running up the cargo net section of the American Gladiators obstacle course with a bike on your shoulder. Yeah, that. For sure. Not to mention the fact that your eating the sand off the cleats of the guy in front of you and trying to breath in order to accomplish the ultimate goal, to stay alive.

As we lined up for the start of the cat 3 race all I could hear was a bunch of bike nerds talking about their tire pressure and weather or not they picked the right tread pattern for the days conditions. I was not excluded from this conversation and am not above it just so you know. I could only wonder what the women in the field behind us were thinking. It was most likely regarding our inability to impress women as a whole. Way to go guys.

As the start whistle sounded I started counting in my head..."1,2,3....30 seconds until the 1/2 women's field starts." I hope thats a big enough gap for me to hold off the leaders....Hmmm, we will have to see. I like setting the bar high early. We ripped through the first few grassy corners and over the only traditional cross barrier on the course. Then it was on to the dreaded run-up sections. So far, no women have passed me 1 min. into the race. Yes. I was able to ride the first run-up each lap which was nice because I could pass the people that would later pass me back on the third run-up. Ha, now what snugglers! Flash forward to 2 min. into the race I'm already going well at threshold and I seem to be passing a bunch of people! What, this is not possibly sustainable. Sure enough a couple of laps tater, feelin good still, I got the honor of stacking it on the singletrack section at the south end of the course and dropped my chain. I was trying to pass a single speeder and went way too hot on a downhill corner, went over the bars, and landed in the blackberries. There goes about 8 spots that ill never see again. Oh well, Im still having fun. How can you not.

Now Im thiking about getting caught by the woman's leaders, and sure enough, busted! Talk about not impressing the ladies. Oh well, there is always next week. I think my tires were runnin a little on the high end pressure-wise. Im sure that was the problem.
Thanks for reading and I hope to see you all at the next cross race. Come by the "ier bus" (yay bus) and visit the Bicyclenorthwest.com crew and tell us about your race, and your excuses. You may even score a cold Rainier for your troubles.

Im out.
Nick B. (Some guy that you probably like just because I haven't pissed you off yet)

Just wait.