Boss Cross #3... it's a bird, it's a plane, it's a slightly below average cat 3 cross racer!

Hey Gang,

The third round of Boss Cross was today. The course was lots of fun, my performance was so so.

Music

• My Morning Jacket 'Maghetta'

I was disappointed with my performance today. But that's okay... i have to keep the big picture in mind. Last year was my first year racing and i got dropped at the first corner of a spring fling road race. Now here i am, racing a 60 + minutes cross race... and beating a few people. Things are okay.

Plus i got some free Chili today... Bam!

Plus i'm doing this for fun... Bam!

The course was great. One tough off camber turn (see the carnage below), one tough but ridable steep hill, 2 set's of barriers. lots of sand (okay, that actually sucked). Good people. Good vibe.

My race started with a front row call up due to my totally and completely bad ass Clark Kent costume. I was a little nervous about this since i usually race from the back, but the start went fine. I got in the pedal immediately, stayed strait, and was off. It was a good learning experience. Sure, i was quickly passed by everyone who always finishes ahead of me, plus a few other folks, but that was to be expected.

I settled in and ended up having a great battle with two guys in Grey Trek kit's. They both beat me in the end but only just barely. Im sure they had their bobbles too but it didn't help when i missed a turn and plowed head first into the tape. i didn't fall, but it took me a sec to untangle and get back on the right track. It was pretty funny really, i had just attacked Grey Trek man so i looked back to see if i had a gap, then looked forward to see tape right in front of me. Whoops.

Despite all this it was still a good day. The team came out in big numbers and Colavita Corner was rocking, a big portion of that is due to our teammate who owns an entire orchestra's worth of musical instruments, we got jiggy with it. There were lot's of great costumes out there and the course was way fun. But maybe... can we cut the sand in half next year? That sh*t is leg zapping!

Ciao

Swayze Cross... gone but not forgotten

Hey Everybody,

Another year of Swayze Cross is in the books.

Music

• Miami Nights 1984 'Sunset Cruise'
  

Sure the Russians didn't invade, nobody fondled Demi Moore while sitting at a pottery wheel, we didn't do the tango in the catskills, there was no epic throw-down between bouncers and townies or Greasers and Soc's, and we never caught the ultimate wave.

But there was some white hot cross racin!

I loved seeing all the faces, old and new, who appreciated the Swayze and were down with some guerilla style, not necessarily well organized but certainly full of heart, cross racing. Thanks to everyone who made it out. We will never forget you Patrick Swayze!

See y'all next year.

Ciao

Smithville Cross Race, the real story

Hey Everybody,

Guess what? i rode my bike today... at a cross race. What else did you expect?

Music

• New Order 'Age of Consent'

So this week's race was the Smithville CX Challenge. I did this race last year, loved it, and it was the same story this year. What's not to like, beautiful venue, great course with a beach section, a steep run up section, a dollar tree, fun whoope-de-doo half pipe section, free food and coffee.

Bam!

Sure, the vibe was temporarily tainted when i had a close encounter with an a-hole in the 3/4 race, but that ended before it even began and i imagine he moved onward in an attempt to kill someone else's buzz. He was a roaming buzz kill with heat seeking capabilities, try to stay out of his sights.

Luckily X had no such encounter, she raced well and even won some prizes (indluding $7 from the dollar tree... who the heck put a 5 spot up there?) but once again she fell victim to the Preying Mantis. Maybe next time.

*A quick note... a few readers thought that it should have been the Pr 'a' ying Mantis... but this Mantis is very spiritual.

As for myself... for the first time at a cross race i doubled up, which for you layman's out there means i did two races. 3/4 was first, i finished mid pack. Sure that may not sound exciting, but it was a blast. The race was punctuated by the great battle i had with cp from Local Cycling. We were back and forth the whole time. i would bobble and he would pass me, he would bobble and i would pass him, is was fun. Racing is much more engaging when your competition is right on top of you instead of 15 seconds up the road. 2/3 was next, and according to the results i finished last... but i swear i passed at least two people. Either way i felt good during the race and am encouraged for my main goal in a few weeks time... riding really fast in front of random strangers on the street.

i love that. Make's me feel cool.

Anyway, the rest of the team did great, Some top ten's, a little up-chucking, and even a win!

Bam!

Ciao

Saturday morning ride

Hey Gang,

Fall is certainly here.

Music

• Empire of the Sun 'Without You'

One thing about Kansas City, we get all 4 seasons and they're not half ass'ed. Each one is it's own separate entity. Summer is brutally hot and humid, winter is brutally cold and colder, but in between those extremes are the sweet spots. Spring and fall. Around here fall equals crisp air and leaves everywhere. Farmers markets are always nice (especially when they include free coffee samples) and so is the breakfast at YJ's in the crossroads.

i love this town.

Ciao

Boulevard Cup... the juicy details

Hey Gang,

Time for a proper recap of Sunday's Boulevard Cup cross race. I should of done this yesterday but didn't have time.

Music

• Empire of the Sun 'Half Mast'

After a quick stop at the CVS to pick up some beer it was off to Wyandotte County Park. The women's open race was the first we saw. X raced okay and although the Colavita / Parisi crew came out in big numbers and had the cheering section down to a science, neither the wave, numerous musical instruments, nor the presence of Tricky Dick was enough to power here past her 15 year old nemesis, who from this point forward will be known as they praying Mantis. Watch out for her, and that goes for the men too.

Next up was the Men's cat 4 race. This is my favorite race to watch. The field's are the biggest and i have quite a few friends mixing it up in there. It's even better when the single speed class (which started 30 second's after the cat 4's) catches and pushes thru the cat 4 men. Pure chaos, pure awesomeness.

Here's some video of the cat 4 and single speed world's colliding.

As for my race, it went much better than last weekend. We had 32 starters in the men's 3. not a bad field size. i was in the back row for the start, not the ideal place to be but i kind of like it back there. After the sprint off the start line it was a left turn off the road, down a hill, and on the course. The course was wicked fun. fast and loose, and loose means acorns. it made for some fun fishtail turns.

I seemed to handle those fast acorn turns better than the slow sharp turn's because on the slow one's i kept going into the tape / stakes, luckily it never slowed me down too much. They had those thin plastic stakes so they bend when you hit them... which is nice. My philosophy when hitting one of those stakes is kind of like chopping a wood board in half karate style, you have to have faith and just plow thru that baby full speed ahead. Damn the torpedos! Say to yourself 'i got a cross race to finish mid pack in and no f-ing stake is gonna get in my way!'

Bam!

I ended 12 out of 29 finishers, so slightly better than mid pack. I don't think i could have done much better than that, which is a good feeling. I made a conscious effort to keep it in the big chain ring as much as possible, that helped. I couldn't decide if it was better to ride or run the sand, so i tried both. Then i decided that running it made me less tired, so i ran it. At this point 'less tired' is like saying getting your finger chopped off is less painful then getting your hand chopped off, but every little digit helps. And how cool was that little half pipe section! It was like a cx roller coaster. Maybe that could be the next ride at worlds of fun, complete with beer hand-ups. Come on out and experience World's of Fun's newest attraction... 'The Cross Brew.'

Cross is so much fun.

Too bad the Chief's had to lose a heartbreaker, that would of been the capper on an otherwise perfect day.

Adios