The Question

'If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?'.  This is a question that can spark many hours of debate depending on what your perception of hearing and sound are. It can even be taken further to ask 'if a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it did it really fall?'.

This fall tree has obviously not fallen.

You are probably wondering why I am suddenly pondering such profound meanings. It is because today I did a cyclocross race and I won my division. Now, before you go sending me congratulatory messages and asking me for all my training secrets let me just tell you that although I was first, I was also last. So you see, this has me reflecting is it really a win if you are the only one racing? I mean the girl that lost couldn't mount her bike without coming to a dead stop and she wasn't exactly moving at the speed of light off the starting line. That being said, the girl that won was wearing some pretty sweet halloween socks and she seemed to be working pretty hard. It was muddy and wet and maybe those other So Cal women who are over the age of 35 just can't take a little weather. All I do know is that my name got called to get the winners prize package and I came home with it. So, being a glass half full kinda gal, I'm looking at it as a win today. Hey, it might be the only win I ever get in this sport. Maybe it is time to quit, you know go out on top!

1st place women 35+ prize package

Division winners- full disclosure is she SMOKED me!

Now that I have a win I may just ride off into the sunset and bask in my glory forever!

Whirly Whirl

I am still a neophyte at this sport of cyclocross but I have already experienced some great race courses. My favorite of the three races that I did in the Pacific Northwest was the Cumberland Cross on the Rock Race. There are numerous reasons why this should not be listed as my favorite race, the most prominent being that it was the day after my encounter with the beaver (whoop, I finally said that without using the F word, amazing what time can do). However, they did offer a $5 discount for all of us that did 'the double' that weekend so it just made sense. Right? Especially since I was so well prepared for the MOMAR and had danced until 2am to help speed up my recovery. I had stayed away from the booze, that should count for something. (there was no way I was drinking any of the Thirsty Beaver, the beaver was not good to me!) So really, if you take into account closing down the party and dancing all night I wasn't doing the double, I was doing the triple!

I practically needed a walker to get around in the morning but I wasn't going to be walking, I was going to be riding. That knee that took a stick the day before almost had half range of motion with the swelling in it and really how much did I need my left shoulder? I carry my cross bike over obstacles on the right. Body inventory complete and off to ride a practice lap. I had a great time pre riding the course, at my limp along leisurely pace it was all good, except I really didn't know where the course went. I just hopped on and started where I was closest and rode around. I was waiting for everyone at the start line, when I was told they were waiting for me at the start line. I barely got there and the race started and I wasn't even on my bike yet. Did I mention yet that I have not mastered a moving mount, not helpful when everyone sprints off the start and I have to swing my leg over the bike. I use the term swing generously because it was done very stiffly and gingerly and with no speed what so ever! Once I got going it was okay except for when I had to dismount and do the high jump. I couldn't lift my legs that high and running was near impossible. I really should have gotten a walker out there. About this point of the race I realized why I got that discount, it was to pay for the large doses of ibuprofen I would be requiring for the next week!

the high jumps on the course

Jason heading into the BMX track

The course wound through trees on the grass and then we got to ride through the BMX park. Of course Jason killed it in his race, but I have to put it out there. He DID NOT do the triple. He was not with Alison and I when we closed down the party! I would have been way faster and nimbler too if I had gotten all that rest;) After the BMX park there was a cool dirt jump section into some sand. At least I think that is what it was. My recollection might not be very accurate because I remember being behind a little kid at one point and there is no way I was that horrible! I think I passed him without pushing him into the ropes, or he could have just dropped me when I was doing one of my incredibly fast hobbling, stand still mounts! We'll never know.

BMX track

The bestest part of the course had to be the whirly whirl. Going into it I was sure I was going the wrong way and going to have a head on with someone, going out was the same way. I still am not sure how they made us go all the way into the center and back out without collisions. It gave me something to ponder the rest of each lap though, when I wasn't thinking about trying to bunny hop the barriers to avoid the remount. With how slow I am at learning this mount, that might be the way to go! The whirly whirl had magical powers and was able to distract me so much that I didn't realize that the finish line was right after it. I was sitting behind a girl at this point, how I caught up is a mystery, and I decided to just wait and take her at the barriers. Cause, I am so good at the barriers? What they heck was I thinking? Which makes me wonder what kind of vortex I had just ridden through!

My fans don't seem to care if I am a complete fledgling!

'You can learn new things in life at any time if you're willing to be a beginner. If you actually like being a beginner, the whole world opens up to you' - Barbara Sher 

Out of Town Affair

Even though I didn't pick up the hitchhiker who promised not to kill me on his sign, I did manage to pick up a new passenger on the trip. I have to say he is very handsome and good company. I am not sure that I should be telling you this but as soon as I saw him I knew I had to have him. Of course like any new relationship you need to spend some time getting to know each other. It would have been nice if we had more time to learn each others nuances before going public but we only got one outing. He is a smooth talker and likes to move fast but I insisted on being on top so I was somewhat in control of things - somewhat but not really!

Handsome isn't he?! 

Site of our first date

The day after we met and had our first date we went on a cougar outing. We lined up at the start of our first cross race with all the masters women. Of course, they were all experts in handling the hot young things that they had mounted. It was pretty darn obvious that I was new to this venue. I had taken off my hotties flashy wheel reflectors and made sure he wasn't overdressed. However, when they started talking about call ups and bell laps the look of utter panic on my face was a redflag to all those around me. Luckily, before moving as far away from me as she could, one other racer explained to me what they heck they were talking about. Apparently, if the leaders lapped me at any point I would be asked to leave the course. Awesome, I had a new goal, we were not to get lapped!

It was the most fun and hardest 30 minutes ever at the same time. I can ride a bike and I can run but I am totally awful at running and mounting my bike in motion. When the seasoned riders do this move it is like watching two dance partners. I should have warned my guy before hand that I am not much of a dancer. Little did he know that his dance partner was not going to help him win any dance competitions. Nope, I was much more like Elaine on Seinfeld but the problem was I had to dance, no sitting this part out! Still, mission accomplished and I wasn't lapped, I wasn't even the last cougar across the line. I was very fortunate to have my own cheering squad and after my race we watched the 'real' cross racers do it. It was so fun we went out and did it again the next morning!

Lost my Cyclocross Virginity

PS- seems we might have had a shot picking up another man if we were so inclined;)

Keeping it Dirty

A few weeks ago I attended a local cyclocross clinic. I had first been exposed in person to cyclocross last December when I went to a local race to watch some friends compete. It looked crazy but all my friends had smiles on their faces the whole time, especially Cherry!

Cherry smiling away in the red and black

Going over an Obstacle

Since that day last December I have known that I would give cyclocross a go at some point. I thought that I would attend a clinic, have some fun and that would be that. This is not the first time that I have been wrong. I thought I was immune to getting the Leadville bug and would just crew for it and be done! At some point I will learn my lesson.

The clinic was held in a local park on the grass and some barriers were set up for us to practice on. We had the option of borrowing true cyclocross bikes or using a mountain bike. Maybe I should have just used my mountain bike. Might not have been as much fun if I was hauling my 30 pound bike up the hills on my shoulder! But oh no, I got the real deal bike and had the true cyclocross experience. Or rather, the true Southern California cyclocross experience. You see it is very dry here most of the time. That means no mud was on the course. Cyclocross originated in the 1920's in Belgium during the fall and winter months. They have actual weather there. Most cross (that's what people in the know say) races involve mud and lots of it. The cross bike looks more like a road bike than a mountain bike but it has thicker tires than a road bike. In a cross race there are barriers and obstacles that you have to run over carrying your bike. The experts have a graceful fluid mount and dismount of the bike. Looks like a dance between the bike and the rider. I look more like I am having a slow motion seizure!

Getting the Lender bike

I'm on the Right about to attempt a moving mount

Dismount success, now to get over the barriers!

The evening of the clinic when Me Hearty asked me how it was I just looked at him my face told it all. He probably thought 'crap, I shouldn't have let her go, just what she needs another hobby and bike, and who is going to do all the work on this new bike, damn- I give my wife way too much freedom'. Instead he said 'glad you enjoyed it, should we try to find you a bike'.

Now any reasonable person would get a bike and do some practicing and get in some more clinics, maybe throw in a local race. I dear readers have never claimed to be a reasonable person. Therefore, I am registered to do not one but two cyclocross races next weekend. Cyclocross races are timed events that last 30 minutes to an hours. Having spent my entire year building a huge diesel engine to ride 104 miles over the mountains of Colorado I am perfectly unprepared for this type of racing. Oh, and did I mention that I didn't run all summer so running with the bike the whole way is not really an option. Not only that, I am going to the American Mecca of cross racing, Seattle. Yup, I will get my wussie So Cal butt schooled by the hard core girls of the PNW. Pretty much guaranteed that it will be wet and muddy and real cross racing.. Good thing, cause if you have a blog named dirty hundy you got to make sure to keep it dirty!

I could be the star of this video next year!