AM: Bloomer Cyclocross Race - ~12.5 miles total
This was my first bike race. I have been told that runners make strong cyclocross riders and at first I thought the discipline was goofy, but have grow quite curious and I think I am pretty hooked. It's very difficult and breathing wise feels like a very hard 5k-4-mile race.
I warmed up with one lap of the course and some around the parking lot and we lined up. I was freezing as it was cold and slightly rainy and I don't have proper cold weather biking gear (way too much money on bike stuff this year). I was second to last going through the grass sections on the first lap, but then quickly started to pick people off.
I wiped out several times on muddy, grassy turns as my bike skills are not very good yet. The discipline involves a bit of getting of the bike and running, so I think I was strong in these areas, but I lost a lot of time falling and not being able to shift very well late in the race as my right hand was numb. I try to push quite hard the second and third laps. My breathing was highly elevated and I was sucking air at the finish. It's basically supposed to be akin to cross country running. It was really hard, but I had a ton of fun. I am signing up for at least one more race this season, and I will likely approach next fall a little more seriously depending on my running goals and schedule.
PM: 7.5 miles, averaged 8:43. HR 139.
I was planning to run, so I snuck this in after watching some other races and going back to tear down. I saw many elite guys who are incredible athletes. Many of them would be really strong runners.
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