The cold wind was a blowing as we headed up to Centuria, WI for the Baker Orchard Cyclocross race. This has been a race that I've sort of wanted to do for the past couple of years, but it just never worked out. Well, this year, my awesome wife and I were looking for a reason to get out of town and spend some time together, so.... why not start the day with a 'cross race that is 1.75 hours away!
After a slightly wrong turn we eventually got up to the Baker Apple Orchard with maybe 45 minutes or so to spare. This was pretty much perfect timing for myself... not too much time to get freaked out or do too many laps, but enough time to comfortably pin on the number and get one full lap of recon in. Maybe I should try and get more laps in before the race to really loosen up the legs.... after my recon lap I was pretty pumped up... a little (bit gimmicky) trip through an old barn, a three log run up, a couple sets of barriers, and a big ole sandpit were the obstacles to tackle on the course which didn't have any singletrack but did have quite a bit of winding tree-ey goodness.
Apparently there are some stuck up cat 4 guys, as we staged I heard a lot of swear-laced muttering from behind me. We were put in the blocks by order of registration and a few sandbaggers didn't appreciate it. Lighten up Francis!
The whistle blew and the hot heads pretty much plowed their way past all of the guys that were out there to push themselves and have fun. Sandbaggers must be eternally drawn to hang out with their own kind... anyways... we did the little prologue and entered the course before the first set of barriers. Now, I'm not that awesome at getting back on the bike (stupid stutter step) but compared to middle to back of the pack fodder in the cat 4 race I'm freaking Sven Nys! At each dismount spot I would make up time... then someone piled up right alongside me going intot he barn.... don't really know how... anyways... I got into my groove and spent the first lap trying to dial in the course and where I would sit in the pecking order. Consistently I would put time in almost everyone around me in almost all of the sections. The woods stuff was flowy and I could glide through the apexes while others seemed to always just go down the middle of the trail. There were a few small rises that I would hammer up (as a singlespeed is want to do) and pass even more people.... I think eventually even though I am slow I finished in the first half of the finishers! BOOYA!
Sunday saw Larry, Matt and I testing the legs at the new Hudson Y course. Lots of fun swoopy in the woods sections, a tricky set of stairs and a couple of sandpits were some highlights of the course. I think the circle of pinwheels of death was the highlight for all though. So big. So fun!
Matt got 2nd! in his first cross race ever! SANDBAGGER! I got about 38th I think... Larry 44th. A decent amount of finishers behind us and we didn't get lapped... so all in all a great weekend of cross!
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