Two days of rain prepped the course for the last race of the Inland Northwest Cyclocross Series 2012 held in Coeur d'Alene. Cloudy skies let the sun in every once in a while, a cold breeze blew, noses ran freely, standing water patiently waited to be abused, and those who thrive on suffering turned out in force.
Don't be fooled. He's suffering.
Beer handup on her 21st birthday.
Mud here.
No mud here.
Diluted mud here.
I've always heard that not only beer handups, but bacon handups were also associated with cyclocross racing. I have never witnessed a bacon handup so I decided to do something about it. I whipped up a batch of my maple syrup bacon and wrapped them up in foil packets, 6-7 slices to a packet. I made a sign advertising their presence and use and left them on the registration table. It was a hit.
Bacon! I got bacon!
Feed me.
I'll take one.
Making a big splash.
This is how you get cold feet.
The sun came out for the final race.
The faster you go, the cooler you look.
I had a good race. I stayed upright, only stabbing my leg into the ground once to save myself from getting dirty. Well, dirtier. Just as two weeks before, we had a headwind on the long straightaway again. But this time I put it on the big chain ring, hunkered down and sucked it up. The return trip was faster and more fun thanks to a nice stretch of thick mud. While the course got chewed up pretty badly, the mud was no match for the riders' skills today. Not many crashes, but you did have to spit out the grit that flew up in your face.
I can't believe the season is over already. I finished 12th in the standings for Men's Master 50+ and that's for competing in six out of ten races. I missed the two in Walla Walla, one in Moses Lake, and one in Moscow. It was a fun season and I have no complaints. Plus my podium dreams were answered with a third place finish at the Sprinker race near Tacoma--although it's three weeks later and I'm still not healed up from my asphalt slide. But who needs skin when you can have beer and bacon?
* * * * * * * * * * * *
A note about photos. One rider asked me if there was another way for me to share my photos so anyone can access them because they don't use Facebook. Good question. While I explore the possibilities, I found it is possible to access the photos even though you don't have a Facebook account. Here are the links to the pictures I took.
Oct 13 - Riverside State Park Races 1&2, and Races 3&4 (None of the 5th because my camera battery was drained)
2 comments:
"Who needs skin when you can have beer and bacon"....I love it!! Congrats on a great season.
I can vouch for the bacon. It's delish. Good job on the season and you better be careful with your finishes, the CAT 3 riders will be calling you up.
John
Post a Comment