I really wanted to do just the first one, then maybe see about the others according to the weather, how I felt, etc. And that's when I realized I had to just sack up and register for all three in advance. Deep down I knew that without prior commitment I probably wouldn't train like I should, then I'd use my lack of fitness as an excuse to stay home. It may be good to know your own strengths and weaknesses, but it ain't always pretty!
Gumption trap avoided, and a few bucks saved by pre-reging, Jared and I went down to the first race, Meaty, Beaty, Big 'n' Bouncy, on a sunny November Sunday. Jared's wife Christy came along and snapped photos and cheered us on. We met up with our pal Mike Johnson and fellow Tioga countians Jason, Erin and Dave, and had a grand old time carving the dozens of grassy hairpins and switchbacks on the Susquehanna riverside. Jared got second place and I finished sixth. There were no prizes, which is just fine with me, and we all got a funky wifebeater shirt and a race logo iron-on to decorate it with.
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| Sucking wind at the Meaty Beaty |
It was good (or just lucky) enough for 1st in my age group, but I wasn't super happy with how I did in that first race. I was also curious to see how much faster I could get in a short period of time, so I really crammed hard for the next few weeks. Then the second race, Hess Mess, was hillier, muddier and more technical, including an icy cold, hub-deep creek crossing, all of which suited me better. And my fitness was much improved, which also helped. I ended up 3rd, 1st in my age group again, and got another iron-on for my wifebeater.
The January race, Fire and Ice, was surely the crown jewel of the series. It was on basically the same course as the first race, but held at night. They had the whole thing lit up with luminarias and open fires here and there, including some flaming logs on the course with little ramps in front so you could jump over them. Sheila came to watch and found a good fireside spot from which to take in the mayhem.
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| Fire and Ice - so nice! |
It was really quite pretty, and silly good fun. It was cold-ish, maybe 27, and the frozen ground made for a fast ride. Apparently the river rose some after they laid out the course, because there was about a 10-foot section of it that was under a couple inches of frigid water. It looked rideable, but on my pre-ride lap I bogged down in the silty mud and got my right foot wet dismounting. Then on the first lap I tried again with the same result. In the heat of the race I didn't think anything of it. I had a ball and despite a little "oh shit" moment fumbling to get my chain back on after a low-speed uphill crash (!), I was able to hang on for 3rd place. I gathered up my final iron-on and headed for home.
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| It looks way better on Sheila. Trust me. |
On the drive back to Mansfield I experienced the usual firey tingle as my toes warmed back up to body temperature. Later that night, however, it became a different thing entirely. My big toe was throbbing so badly it woke me up and sent me hobbling downstairs for an aspirin. The next morning it was all purple under the nail and quite painful. The pain has now subsided, but I'm pretty sure the thing is dead and is going to fall off at some point.
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| The cure for foot fetishism |
For my perseverance I got second overall in the series and some "silver" brass knuckles (the winner's are "gold" and Mike J's "bronze") to show for it. Far cooler than some cheesy trophy. And not only that, but the points I accrued in the 'cross series were enough to win my age group in the whole River Towns Race Series. That part comes with a generous cash prize, which I was totally not expecting. I turned around and gave it back to them as sponsorship for their next bike race.
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| My novelty belt buckle |
