Cyclocross Debut

Today marked my virgin debut in my new favorite sport - first cyclocross race ever!! Ever since I got my new Yeti CX bike way back in August, I have been ogling over it, and awaiting race day.

Chris has been gradually building up my bike, and going through all the frustrations of routing cables, adjusting brakes, and getting the shifting just right. My hat is off to my fantastic husband, as he has never built up a road bike, and he has a lot more patience and resolve than I would ever have! He worked late into the night last night, and then put the final touches on my bike this morning, only minutes before we left for the race.

I didn't get a chance to even ride my bike or test it out before we arrived in Golden for the Green Mtn Sports Mammoth Cross #1. My first ride was during my warm-up, but Chris had done an excellent build and everything was in place. Unfortunately Chris had sacrificed all his time building my bike, and has just started building up his bike, so he did not race today, and instead took great photos.
Since it was my first CX race, I was in Cat 4, but was still nervous at the start line, especially with a much bigger field than normally found at the mtn bike races. I got off to a good start, and immediately started weaving my way through the traffic and moving up.
I was surprised how after resting only one week after the mtn bike season ended, my legs felt fresh. The first couple laps were a bit of a bottleneck, and with negotiating the hurdles for the first time, I was trying to get my timing underway for the dismount and re-mount.
I was feeling good, and gaining confidence as the race went on. The course was dry and very bumpy, but my mtn bike skills were prevailing, and I attacked the corners and downhils with reckless abandon. I was shocked at how tentative the "roadies" were in taking the corners and off camber sections at high speed!I threw in a big surge on the second to last lap, and tried to gap 3 girls. And then on the final lap the lactic acid set in, I momentarily lost focus, and crashed on a tight corner. One girl came back on me, but I caught back up to her and charged to the finish, winning Cat 4!! I was exhausted, but estatic and had so much fun! I love the dynamic of the race, with running and riding, and pinning it aggressively. I can't wait to race again next week!