Psychocross

With Granogue looming, I knew that this weekend would be a one race weekend. A number of us decided that we'd meet out at the Estate Sunday morning to walk through some of the venue set up, and polish the course a bit, if we were gonna get a race in this weekend, it as going to be Saturday.

Tip of the hat to the Sportif Group who put together a very hard, very fun course on the grounds of the former Springfield Hospital, which was an mental health institution in the past century and is now abandoned.  The course wasn't  flowy, it was just hard and tight. I feel dirty typing hard and tight together. I liked it. I appreciated the extra effort to add a log in the course, to create 4 dismount opportunity's a lap. Well done. cheers gentlemen.

Upon arriving, Mike Birner presented me with a nice 40oz beer, you know for turning 40. The personal touch is always nice. 

My start was kind of awful. I felt like I got off the line okay, but at the first corner, I was almost DFL. I panicked just a little, and pushed towards the front. Say by the end of the first lap, I had finally made contact with the front group and was probably sitting in 7th or so. Lap 2 dropping into a sweet little mucky section that lead to the base of the second run up, I stacked it pretty hard. Once again, over estimating my technical abilities. The leaders were gone at this point, and I surrendered spots to a number of guys around me. Had to stop to straighten out my left shifter which was now facing me.  I picked myself up and started going again, but I was definitely finding myself in survival mode a bit more. McGill pulled wheelies on the first run up and made me look bad, and finally I was able to get some distance from him.

I surrendered a spot to Bernie and Hicks, before settling for an 11th place. Okay ride, not great. Cross results beat me by 2 spots today. I hate losing to crossresults.

Monk raced right after me, she got a good start and battle a  field of women 24 women . She was doing a great job in the tight corners of the race, and on first run up she was super pro. The technical nature of the course definitely favored her strengths as Monkey had a nice little battle with a woman from the University of Maryland (fear the turtle!). Diane was able to get around her on with one to go and hang on to finish 9th overall, and 3rd for cat 3s.

Not too shabby.

I was feeling a little jacked up after the race, you know from throwing myself on the ground again, but it was nothing that a couple of Advil, and my mug club card at Two Stones Pub couldn't sort out....

5-3-1 vs. Crossresults this year.

thanks to galen for the race shots...

respect
fatmarc