--this is how the entire race felt to me--(again thanks to pdaddy for the great photos)
i knew it was going to be a special day when the beautiful mrs k told me that she wasn't going to be my cheering section today at the cyclocross race in augusta. i understood why she wouldn't want to spend her day chasing the little general around while i had fun racing, so i hardened up and went by myself. forgetting my helmet.
the helmet issue was resolved moments after arriving at the gorgeous mt. pleasant winery by the generous rich pierce. thanks rich!! augusta as a whole is a really cool place, and mt. pleasant is the perfect, pristine little piece of property to make a hellish race course upon.
good lord. had the ground been dry and fast, the course would have been wicked with it's off camber downhills and nasty switchbacks. but no. the ground was the consistency of rubber cement that was not quite dried. what would one expect after all the rain we've had? curiously, pedaling was necessary going DOWNHILL! there were some bright spots, such as the first switchbacks and the stairs with the screaming hoards of people. adding insult to injury, though, was the super steep section on the backside that sapped the will of anyone who fancied going faster than a walking pace.
poor positioning at the start and a bit overgeared...i sort of put myself in a position to do poorly. but it wasn't so poor. there was no way i was going to get a top 5 finish, but i had the plan: don't blow up on the myriad of gut wrenching climbs. and i didn't. a bleak race turned brighter near the end when i began to catch some guys that had gone out too hard. 12th place isn't all bad. i wish to master this evil, godforsaken sport one day, and the only way to do it is to suffer through these sadistic races first.
i was very impressed with the turnout. the course was built on a hillside and it was littered with people during all of the races, making a very cool scene.
bring on the next one.
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