The day began at with a drowsy drive to Providence. It wasn't as cold as some of the other mornings traveling to cross. I arrive and see some unfamiliar faces but recognize the Gamache boys off in the distance. I sign in and start my prep routine meeting up with Dan & Ron from Gamache. We check the course over and notice the off-camber section that proves to be difficult for the women on the course.
Slip-n-slide
The announcer says that it will be mayhem for nearly 200 racers in my group, the "Killer-Bs" as they are affectionately called. Ok, so I'm racing above my head today. At 9 we start on pavement, quickly entering the tight turns on loose soil. Two quick turns later we are approaching the off-camber mud slide. During my first lap I dismount and run on the high side, given that I see a number of guys go down and it nearly comes to a stand still.
Zip around turns
On lap two I get bumped while riding the same section and pick up my usual cross "flair", equivalent to a dirty uniform. The course is full of twists, turns, roots, run-ups and many competitors. I hear Tony, Em & Len cheering as I go by!
The run-up on stairs, kinda like a stairmasta
Spectators like Len, behind the camera, tucked into some of the more technical areas where you can see a lot of the action. All the guys shoulder their bikes in order to run up the short steep section quickly. Wow, look at that form. Thanks goes out to Len for the amazing photos!
Final lap
Here comes my teammate Gary Douville on his final lap! In our last race together in Lowell he nearly lapped me during his final sprint. In Providence Gary was sick with what he thought was the flu, but it turned out to be bronchitis. None the less he still takes 7th and makes it look easy. In other words Gary is nasty on the bike.
Results
I finished 107 out of 172 and had a great time, full of respect for the Killa-Bs. Too bad next year's Nationals will be somewhere else in the country! I spent the rest of the day watching races with friends and getting food & beer from RedBones. The cross season ended on a high, but now my knee is hurting. No streching and no warm-up caused some havoc. Time for PT and a resolve to do things correctly in the future.
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