Monday, October 17, 2011

The Beginning of a Cyclo Cross Junkie


TENSE and GRITY girls (Meaghan Bull and Julie Berkbuegler)
I spent the last three years watching my good friend Lindsay Jones (AKA the GOAT) race and I always knew I wanted to get out there play in the dirt and scrap some knees on bikes. Finishing grad school opened up that space for me to race cyclocross and I LOVE THIS SPORT!

I feel the old athlete that I was return to my blood. But to tell you the truth I need to be on my bike more then once a week(at the races) and if I want to take this a little more serious I will be. Currently I like this phase of my new racing career, it almost feels like the beginning of a long lasting relationship(We are on our 5th or 6th date).

I am writing my first race report for cyclocross after the third Cross Crusade, which had quite a few members on the Tensegrity PT cycling team ready to rumble. Alexander Jole(AKA Ken doll) raced his first big race in the beginner men's peddling his long legs and showing some love for the sport. From what I understand he is just as excited about cross as I am. Alexanders older cousin Spencer Ardt and marathon runner raced his first cross crusade, racing in the Men's C's he passed 93 men to rank 40th out of 133.

Deireck Ritter also came out and raced his first crusade race jumping head first into the B's and killing it finishing 40th! Taylor Bushnell rode an impressive 10th place...hard enough to snap his seat post off his bike. He finished 10th only losing 4 spots to the mechanical(he won the coveted prize of having not spearing himself with his seatpost). Ryan Garner was looking good racing his second week as a A. Life is hard playing with the big boys but he is doing well with it. John Muyskins was riding hard until he split his groin. That pulled him back a few spots and now he is sitting in recovery. Dave Bisers was charging in the top 30 in SS and showing off some of his skills by bunny hoping over the concrete barrier, only to flat on the last lap(Next time Dave).

At the moment I have been either sitting at the middle of the pack or in the top third of the beginner women's field. I finished 21st this week after finishing in the 30's the first two weeks. My goal is to move up from 21st to 15th next week, so there are five ladies I want to take down!....I plan on riding my bike a little more this week. Megan Bull also hammered it in the women's race and moved up showing her serious grit though her girlness!

So stay in touch as I followup on my new relationship with cyclocross racing. Like I said it will be a hot steamy, full of ups and downs, and occasional bruises.

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