Mud and Cowbells

While most of the East Coast stayed indoors or went to the mall (I know about that one after the race I went to King of Prussia, it was packed) there were a small niche group of athletes practicing their trade in the rain and mud.  This is my first season shooting cyclocross but this weekend conjured up memories of old cycling magazines with the Belgian crossers' covered in mud and poop while racing on the farmer's cow pasture just outside of town.  Classic cross weather is the best way to describe it.
The first stop of the weekend was Granogue, Delaware.  Its one of the DuPont properties between Wilmington and West Chester. 
I did not expect a big turnout.  The weather would keep most home, I thought.  WRONG!  All the fields were full.  The only thing that kept the racers from the finish line was all the mechanical failures due to the mud.  Derailleurs were getting ripped off frames on every muddy lap.  Almost every lap bunches of racers were crashing on the muddy off camber at the top of the hill. 
But still they kept smiling....

Next stop Wissahickon.  The weather had improved a bit.  But the course was still muddy.  The main features on this course were the short barrier run up. And the horse jumping pit.   
I gotta admit that I'm so looking forward to next season to share the pain. 
I'm out for a couple of weeks to spend time with family.  But I'm looking forward to picking things up again in November.

Commute

I usually don't commute to work on Tuesday.  It's partially because I used to try to do the group rides out of Mechanicsburg.  But mostly it's because Tuesday's a big meeting day and it's also laundry night. Dirty laundry from Friday and Monday goes home and  in come clean clothes for the rest of the week.  But since I had yesterday off and only did an indoor workout, it was time to break from tradition.  While coming home I started thinking about bikes.  Some of us are lucky to have a lot of nice things in this world, but the one thing that's special to me is a bike.  Now, its not about snob brand name or anything like that.  It's the fact that I do ride and ride often that makes me or any serious rider special.  Most people at work don't  know I ride.  I get there before most of them have breakfast and sometimes leave after a majority of them have gone home.  The only way most know I commute is when they stop by my cubicle and see this parked in the corner:
When I see them look at the bike I know its something special.

Bike Ride

I was thinking about going up to Micheaux to watch the riders come in as Iron Cross finished up today.  But alas the spirit was willing but the legs were weak.  I was coming up on the first climb after Mount Holly springs but just totally bonked.  At least I got out and had a good three hours.  Going to recover for a bit then wash and wax the car.  After traveling all over Southern PA and Northern MD for the past several weeks my Subie deserves a good bath.  

This bridge has been closed for the past five years.  What is up with that?

I passed by the South Mountain Drag strip.  It sort of piqued my curisoty to maybe try taking some photos of the muscle cars.  Maybe one of these weekends....


On the way back I stopped off in Boiling Springs just to stretch my legs.  I felt that bad!
Today I rode the Tuscany, maybe because its bars are set flatter than my usual bike a Litespeed Sienna it changed something to make me bonk.  Oh well it was time out on my bike.  Commuting is OK but just getting out there with no goal in mind is pretty cool.

Carlisle Iron Cross Lite

I so look forward to weekends, especially the long ones.  This weeks photoshoot was basically on "home turf" I had to drive less than 30 minutes to get to the Iron Cross race yesterday.  A few people were trying to talk me into riding the "C" race.  They were telling me its one of the less technical courses out there.  Ya right!  This would have been me on every lap.

The whole reason I gave up mountain biking was because I could not stand to ride on roots or hop over logs.  Guess what, in addition to the usual 'cross fun there is rooty single track and LOGS!  See ya next year.  This year its photographing the mayhem and trying to build base if  racing should happen next season.  Also next year I'll be able to race in the 55+ group.

Next week is one of the national events in Wissahickon.  All the national photographers will probably be there but I'll try to hang with the big boys.  If anybody wants to spot me $1700 for a new Sony 70-200 "G" lens I promise I'll take nice pictures of them, their family, and pets for the rest of their lives.

Kelly Acres

WoW, can the people who organize cyclocross races be any more sadistic?  I thought that last week's course was brutal, but this weeks looked like a non-stop lung buster.  In addition to the natural landscape which consisted of several climbs that could barely be walked up let alone ridden they added a man made fly over.  It looked like so much fun that I decided to start training for races next season.  My physical therapist says its OK because my neck is not going to get any better or worse.  I can turn side to side to see behind me so it should not be a hazard for other racers.  However my wife and non rider friends think I have lost the last of my brain cell.  We will see next year.  I need some motivation and commuting to work and group rides are getting old.  So I have a new goal for next year.  To cat up from my current CAT 5 to at least a 4.

Bike Ride Saturday

Since I began shooting on weekends I don't have much time to ride. Yard work and chores on one day, shoot races on another. I don't mind because photographing races lets me live vicariously through my photography. The three day a week commute to work is nice but I really like to get out on my "race bike" and hammer away. Since I have to get up at 4:30 to give Bailey her meds I stayed up and did some work around the house. When the sun came up I decided to ride. This was the best road ride I have had in weeks. The morning was beautiful. It had rained a few hours earlier but the roads were drying out fast. I took along my point and shoot camera and grabbed a few photos of the day.  I managed 30+ miles with a decent pace.  and came back to enjoy the rest of the day.