First Cross Race

I decided to give cross racing a try last night. A few of the guys I race with talk about it from time to time, so I thought I should check it out. When I showed up, I was surprised by the length of the course. Granted, this is a 'practice' race, but I thought the race would have utilized more of the space. This isn't really a complaint, but an observation.

I arrived at the race early enough to get in 30 minutes of riding prior to the race. I was also able to go through the course two time prior to the start. A couple observations:
1. Josh C. was right, I need to practice my dismounts.
2. I need some skinny tires.

At the start, I lined up at the back. I was more interested in experiencing the race to get a better idea of how everything works. It probably wasn't the best idea, because as soon as the whistle sounded, the front of the group took off while I waited for the traffic to start moving. It was a significant disadvantage in meeting my first goal of not getting lapped.

The pace of the race wasn't too bad. I have been running all year, so that definitely helped. On lap 3 I crashed for the first time this year. I was coming around a corner pretty fast and slid out on the grass. My chain had popped off, so I lost a few spots trying to get it back on.

There were 2 other guys with mountain bikes, and we ended up riding the majority of the race together. I had the lead of the three of us until my accident. The rider that passed me was Dan K. It was good to see him again after his baby hiatus.

Saw a lot of familiar faces at the race (Brendan B, Nate G, Dan K, etc). It was a great workout, a good time, and an overall fun experience. I will definitely try my hand at a few more races this fall.