And the StudMuffin Award Winner Is......

I caught a truck draft on the way to work this morning. Not like this:



I was on pavement, in my 53x11, spinning at 42mph. Euphemistically 'hanging on'.

I did two cyclocross races this weekend. It was fun. My club put them on so it was free too. All I had to do was a little work. I helped score two races both days, ran the registration table for a bit one day, and stayed well after the race both days, picking up trash, taking down course tape and stakes.

The saturday race was a new course. Some sick bastard decided it would be a good idea to put in a rocky, steep, long, technical downhill followed by a rocky, steep, long, technical uphill. It wasn't much of a problem for those of us with decent MTB skills. I thought it was a blast, but a bit much for a CX course. The uphill wasn't quite rideable for me on a CX bike, though I know there were guys that could.

Just after the start finish there was a curb with a 3-foot wide ramp over it, followed by an immediate ten foot drop on a grassy slope and then a shallow downhill for the next 100 yards. On the first lap we headed into but I was amazed that guys were actually slowing down and lining up for the ramp. This was 4 inch curb! I jumped around then group, bunny hopped the curb and blasted down the knoll at full speed. I went from second to last in the pack to about 5th in about 1 second. I ended up on the wheel of the dude that eventually placed 6th. I got jammed into a corner shortly after and lost a few places, but came on strong on the rocky, steep, long, technical downhill and took maybe two spots back. I was actually doing pretty well - riding in the top ten - until I tried to ride one of the run ups at that top of rocky, steep, long, technical uphill, fell over into the brush, and couldn't get up. I was tangled in the branches, the bike actually laying under me so I couldn't get my pedal unclipped. There was a spot where you could remount, push up a little rise, then turn a corner and go up a second tier. It was rideable, but not in traffic. I managed to get free and finish respectably, though I know I could have done better. I do well on technical courses like that.

The sunday race was much more traditional, no real climbing, three run-ups, but lots and lots of roots.

On my warm-up with ChronoMan, we ended up behind a small boy maybe ten years old on a BMX bike riding the course with his dad. the kid was actually moving pretty good. There was one section with perpendicular roots that made a sharp left onto a little wooden bridge. The kid went around it, and the rear of the bike bounced over about 6 inches aiming the kid ride for the water. He gave the bike a hip check to aim it back for the bridge and never stopped pedaling. He cleaned the bridge and the mud/roots on the over side. Chrono and I both cheered him "awesome, great save dude!", and his dad turned around to us beaming with pride.

Through the mountain bike mayhem the day before I had no issues, even letting loose on the rocky, steep, long, technical downhill. Sunday, on the first lap, I took a bad line at high speed and hit a patch of roots, resulting in a bent front wheel and a flat rear. As I was about half-way though the field at that point, I ended up riding about 2/3 of the course on the flat. Neutral support gave me a wheel change and I was on my way - deadfuckinglast.

I had hoped for a top ten finish yesterday, which should have been do-able since we only had 20 entries. Now, let's try not to get lapped. I did end up catching a few guys, and managed to escape the leaders by about one minute.

It's a good thing I don't take this shit seriously.

Anyways, our StudMuffin award of the day goes to......

(drum roll)

Cassandra Maximenko.

(Yes, I know 'stud muffin' is a term that usually applies to the male gender - I prefer to apply it genderalisitcally (?) neutral)

Cassadra won the womens overall at the Journey For Sight triathlon sunday morning, then drove over to our race and placed 4th in the womens field, about 2 1/2 minutes down.

I can do one 'cross race in a day, and it's tough for anyone except for the most fit and talented 'cross racers to do well in two races in a day. This woman did a freakin' triathlon and then a 'cross race.

StudMuffin, indeed.