bad & good races

Above is Christopher being saying "I'm a scary ghost. Boo." in his, of course, scary ghost costume going into school before Halloween.

I did three races this weekend and it was pretty much like night and day between Saturday and Sunday. Saturday I decided to go to Whitewater even though I knew it had a lot of climbing and I'd probably get my butt kicked. DFL. 7 out of 7. It definitely didn't help that I started out in a gear to sprint at the start forgetting that almost immediately there is a steep climb. I couldn't downshift quick enough and had to get off and run. I later also took out a pole and messed up a downhill/turn stretching the tape to the point that I don't know how it didn't break. Oh well.

Sunday was the Northbrook course. Leah asked me "Is this a Gina course?" Oh, yes, it most definitely was. The sled hill was out so no big climbs -- not one of my strengths anyway. There were lots of turns, including a small wooded section, off cambr stuff, a sand pit where you went through, did a U-turn and then went through it again. I prerode it and thought "I could ride this all day."

My biggest problem lately is my stupidity. Before the race a guy told us to take the outside lines as the inside lines were getting too slick. Umm, it took me three wipe outs to actually heed that advice. I believe that had to have been how I dented my frame. I didn't notice it until going over one of the barriers in the Men's 4A. I still took 5th out of 13. Woo hoo! Without the wipeouts I think I could have nabbed 4th but Wendy from Alberto's is pretty fast so who knows. I had dropped to sixth and was able to get past a girl the last lap grabbing 5th and the last money spot. = ) Yea!

I wanted to do the 4B's but they weren't letting anyone register for it in the morning so I signed up for the 4A's assuming to get my butt kicked. The best I had previously done in the 4A's was 63rd. I was actually 36th out of 64 finishers and 8 DNF's. There was a sharp left turn to a barrier that you then had to get over a ditch and run up a short steep climb. I got passed there by the guys every lap. They have a half-foot to a foot on me in height and those steep run-ups are one of my weaknesses anyway. But, I just kept trying to pass them back anyway. A highlight was grabbing a dollar hand-up after the first part of the sandpit and actually being able to shove it in my sportsbra and make it through the second part of the sandpit. Yeah, I'm odd.

The South Chicago Wheelmen course is next Saturday. I'm undecided on doing a second race as I'd like to go up to Wisconsin on Sunday and do their race. I also have a family function though on Sunday that I have to see if I can show up late for.