i’m definitely tempted to try to go get a steroid to accelerate things, but i’d feel like a low key cheater seeing as how i’m in the process of ramping up fitness for cross. but fuck, that’d be nice too.
the rash is super widespread but not terribly severe in any one spot. been on that calamine, will start taking benadryl to try to sleep, which has been the main challenge.
also just got my gunnar transitioned into sscx mode, and i’m stoked on it. will post soon.
Last practice before reno. I was like, “i need to get a ride on these brand-new tubulars to make sure everything is a-ok.” I proceeded to hit a big ass rock and flat it. Added more sealant and I hope it works.
I know nothing of steroids, but 5-ish days of medication for something like poison ivy seems like…not cheating to me?
Go buy some coffee. Unbeknownst to me, Dan from Grimpeur Bros is gonna give us some of the profits for the team.
My steroid run was 21 days, but tapering, and I didn’t feel like I could run up stairs like the flash after the second 3 day taper.
Not all 'roids are the same.
Corticosteroids, the ones we use for treating excessive inflammation, are very different from the anabolic steroids we think of as performance enhancers. Some of the side effects, like avascular necrosis, can occur with both.
Corticosteroids just make most people moody and hungry as fuck. Not a great performance boost in most cases. Get y’self treated.
Race #2 last night.
Smaller grid for sure (there were 177 total over 2 starts last week), but still a bunch of people. As before I got spit out the back pretty fast, but this time I got the full 3 laps in! And I know I finished ahead of some folks, so that’s good.
Also as usual, I cleaned every tech section, but get dropped on the fast/smooth parts. For the first two laps I rode 4/5 of the run-up RR tie stairs, which was fun.
This series is 5 Thursday races at the same location, but the course varies each time. Seems like the run up, sand pit, and a couple of areas will always be the same, so a nice mix of familiar-but-new for each race.
I’ve gotta get a taller/shorter stem. Otherwise this mutt is running great.
my life
Ftfm
Submitted for my cat 2 cx. And got it within an hour. He also asked if I wanted my cat 3 in track, because I requested that 2 years ago and he saw it was still pending approval. Signed up for E123 and Wheeler’s and Dealers at RenoCross.
First race of the season will be Trek CXC, followed by Jingle Cross.
Crap–one decent day on the CX bike and I online register myself into lordknowswhat…
Go Lars. Goooooooooo!!!
Did two races today.
Got 8th out of 16 in 4s 35+. I think I’m going to register for open 4s next week because there’s more people and my time behind the leader would have put me 7th out of ~25. I raced on my SS because it’s the only bike I’ve got together right now.
Single speed was 3 hrs later. Perfect amount of time to chill out, eat food, drink a beer and get ready to race again. I ended up in the middle 30s out of 40 something. I think. There were at least 10 people below me listed as dnf. And other people were reporting issues with the results. So not really sure what was going on. On the plus side I rode 3 short barriers every lap. And somehow scraped my calf on my rear cantis every time.
bay areans: any cross races this coming sunday? gonna be out there for a wedding and am bringing cross bike.
CCCX
17100 Castroville Boulevard, Prunedale, CA 93907
looks to be an hour or so south of San Jose.
My first cx race ever is in a month. Trying to get used to a new tire/hbar combo. And jumping on and off the bike. Gonna suck.
Humboldt Park Cyclocross was kind of a “grass crit” type of course that made you think you were good at technical stuff because the turns were so wide, but overall it was mostly push hard, go fast over grassy false flats.
The two technical sections were the barriers (pretty straight forward) and the one giant hill that we rode up four styles of up and down (off camber, long and tall, short but quick turns, etc.)
In the Cat 3-35+ I picked up some spots but then mistook a crossing for an opening and forgot to turn, which rocketed me off the course before it was too late. Technically I should have gone back, but I let the two chasers pass me and re-entered when they gave me the “No worries, bro.”
Trying to chase them down one of them ran into a mechanical, and the big duel happened on the hills. I managed to gain the upper hand, but was out of gas by the time I was in the finishing straight. BUT I didn’t blow up. Ended up 5th of 16.
Katie Keough also showed up to throw down, so I got to practice keeping my fanboy in check when chatting with her for a few minutes after her race. She went to the same school as my wife, and even had the same track coach.
Going to an out-of-town race this weekend. Told my team I’m considering doing the beginner women’s race. I’m only bringing my MTB, so if I get one lap in, I’m going to consider it a success.
Reno Cross:
9 people lined up for the elite 123 (non UCI), along with 10 35+ 123 and 40(!) 45+ 123. I was 2nd into the holeshot and managed to hold onto 3rd for the remainder of the 1st lap until I slid out at 2 corners to go and my chain came off. Took me a solid 2 minutes to get everything back to working order and by then, I everyone in my e123 field was gone. I tried frantically to fight back, but I made dumb mistakes that cost me more and more time. The sandpit was brutal and I think 2 of the UCI men made it through. The line into was fucked and you could make it a bit more than halfway before you had to dismount. Because of the wind (was about 15mph), I think this course was harder than Nationals, even without the crazy runup/off camber descents.
On top of this, my bike rack fell off my car on the way to Reno on Monday night. my geared bike only sustained scratches, but the moth attack and gf’s bike had tires ground down and the xt pedals on the MA drug on the ground.
Whoa what the shit? Are those straps severed, or did the stitching let go?
