I didn't die!

That was my one and only goal for today's race. Actually I had two. The second one was to finish, and I did!

Today I did my 2nd cyclocross race ever, the Battle at Barlow, in Gresham, OR. It was quite possibly one of the hardest things I've ever done (and that includes giving birth to two good size babies sans drugs!) Holy mud, Batman! It was the consistency of peanut-butter and slippery as all heck! And the run-up! OMG, the run up! Imagine a staircase for a giant, made of mud and railroad ties. I clocked myself in the head with my bike so many times. And I wiped out more times than I could count. And I ran/walked more of the course than biked it it seemed. But oh what fun it was, in a sick and twisted way.

I was feeling a bit down on myself when I finished, thinking that I really sucked 'cos I'd only managed to do two laps in 45 minutes, until I saw the results. I came in 32nd out of 42 beginner women, so I wasn't last, and only the top 10 or so actually did 3 laps. So I felt much better after seeing that.

Remembered as we got home at 5 that I had a soccer game at 7. Somehow managed to get dinner for everyone, scarf down a bit myself, and get out to the door to my game. Now I'm ready to collapse.

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4113/...320cc4a266.jpg
trying to stay upright after the run-up

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4151/...91c3f8fcf2.jpg
not so shiny new bike

Sweet! Good job. I'm so jealous. I was there today to cheer on my boyfriend, and it was the best cyclocross course I've ever seen. By which I mean the longest and steepest climbing (by far!), plus a good deal of mud. Once my back recovers I'm really hoping to try cyclocross; it looks like such a blast. But for this year it's wellingtons and rain pants, and perhaps earplugs. (I love cowbells in theory.) Perhaps I'll see you out at the races sometime later this season!

Leila

Yippee! Congrats on finishing and not dying :D. Sounds like a fun course for sure. Don't ever get down on yourself - the primary thing with 'cross is to have fun. And trust me, slipping and sliding in the mud is fun, and hard!

Great job out there. Can't wait to read more reports.

SheFly

And soccer after that! :eek:

You rock! What did you do after soccer, roller derby?