The Pain Locker, Cyclocross

I first raced cyclocross back in New England around 1998. I had an Bianchi Cross Project. It was steel and the fork flexed like you wouldn’t believe. I wasn’t taken it by cross as a discipline at first. The New England winters are bitter cold and I can still feel the cold in my rough coughing lungs and numb fingers. Brrrr

I first raced the cross Nationals in 1999, which was held at Fort Devens in Massachusetts. I recall I got 19th out of maybe 65 guys. Today that same class is broken up into 2 age divisions which each have 150+ each. When I moved to Seattle my love for cross blossomed. I moved here in 2004 and raced my first full season that year. Since then I have race every fall and been to the nationals 3 out of the 5 years. My best placing was in the Men’s B category in 2005, where I got 8th. Last year I race in the pro race and only made it 4 laps out of 10 before the leaders lapped me. Their that fast.

That is part of why I’m getting into running. Not because I’m slower than the top guys but because I know my potential and I have had many many great experiences on my bike already. Along the way I have won the 2007 Washington State Championship in the Men’s B group and had three top 4 finishes for the season.

Twenty years is a long time, it’s time now to chase a different goal.