Let me begin by saying that this would never be written if I needed my legs to type….

Where to start? Where to start?

Without getting into the gruesome details of the situation I’m just happy that the 2008 season has come to an end. It was a lot of fun at the very beginning, rotten for several months as sutures closed and bones knitted and fun near the end, but it never lived up to the hopes that I started the season with. In my head, this weekend was the beginning of the 2009 season for me….

Saturday

With that in mind, and finding an open window at home, I was able to take part in the Westwood Velo Cycocross race at Campgaw Mountain yesterday. Oof…

Now logic would dictate that, for my first CX race ever on a brand new to me/borrowed bike, I would enter the ‘easiest’ field in which I can race amongst people of my ability level and skillset. Well, logic doesn’t always prevail with a 2nd grade flag football coaching gig (note – we got beat 21-7…I want to see birth certificates)  and I found myself toeing the line with the Master’s 35+ field. The good news is that right behind us was the 45+ and yes, 55+ field. So my possible embarrassment was now cut across generational lines.

We got sent off and I found myself promptly in the very back of the field. Well, back is being kind…let’s call it last. We were quickly strung out and I was able to hold onto several wheels as we made out way through the initial part of the course which consisted of three sections of twisty, caution tape lined turns with two barrier sections to jump over. My complete guess is that we had about twenty tight turns to manage. I had never done a flying ‘cross dismount before and knew it wouldn’t be pretty.

My first dismount was with a crowd of other riders (take that last place!!) so I didn’t approach the barrier at speed, but for the second and most public barrier I came to a complete dead stop and basically looked as if I was unclipping at The Spoon to get a cup of coffee. A collective groan emanated from the crowd. Don’t dissapoint a cross crowd..they’re savages.

The back part of the course consisted of a quick, steep descent, a pass through the parking lot and a shot down a fire road to a set of log steps. I enjoyed this part as I could shoulder the bike and get up them pretty quickly. In my perfect race there’d be about 200 steps and about 20 feet of bike riding. I’d be a monster.

As the race continued I grew increasingly comfortable with the moving dismounts and getting over the barriers. Thanks to Patrick Littlefield for his constant encouragement at that part. The leaders lapped me (1.25 mile course) right near the end and I finished the race in a tad over 50 minutes. It really really hurt as I finished and I found myself doing the whole ‘breathing out the ears’ thing for quite a while but finishing upright, in one piece and having a chance to practice all the variables of Cyclocross was completely worth the experience.

Another great part of this race, and one that really ups the appeal of cyclocross to me, is the spectator friendly nature of the course. Kath brought the Wee Beasties up to the race and it was great to hear my kids yelling for me pretty much all the time. There’s a lot to bike racing that makes it hard on families – early races, long distances to travel, hours of training out of the house, courses in which the riders leave and return hours later – and it was very nice to look over time and time again and see the kids, along with my teammates from Organic, jumping up and down on a picnic table screaming their heads off. I’m just really happy that they didn’t see dad toss his cookies.

Mission Accomplished – One CX race down – body in one piece maintained.

Sunday

In the spirit of kicking off The 2009 Brian Gatens March to Greatness(tm) I rode the MS100 today in NYC. i had planned on it being a fun ride with some of my Organic teammates as we strolled around Manhattan Island, taking in the sights from the West Side Highway and the FDR, and then heading out to the Wilds of New Jersey and New York to soak up the beautiful fall weather.  A bucolic stroll surrounded by the wonders of autumn….

Yeah, not so much…

I woke up this morning at 5:00 AM to what appeared to be a light mist. Hmm, interesting as no rain was called for. I tossed my gear in The Greatest Of All Cars – The Honda Element and headed into NYC.

It began to pour

Build an Ark and get two of every animal kind of weather

Great

Jim, Doug and I made our way down to Pier 94 for the 7:30 start. Standing inside I could see the sheets of raining falling down past the lights. The place was hot and packed with riders staring nervously outside as everyone scurried around to get ready. On the PA, a lone female voice was admonishing us to get out into the rain to start the ride. She was offering a countdown of minutes and her intensity rose with each passing minute. It had the feel of an evacuation ala the ‘I am Legend’ scene at the Brooklyn Bridge. I was waiting for a National Guardsman to spray the ceiling with bullets.

I won’t bore you with the details of the ride, plus I’m beat, but suffice to say that it was fun in the way that only those of us who love cycling can define fun. The same kind of people who ask for less anesthesia during root canal kind of fun. The highlights were:

– seeing the Avon Two-Day Breast Cancer Awareness Walkers heading south on the FDR pathway as we headed north. Both groups were hooting and hollering in support of each other.

– The occasional rider getting completely covered in splashed puddles from the southbound side of the FDR.

– The nice representation from many of the NYC cycling teams

– Tearing through the Lincoln Tunnel at full speed

– Riding along with other riders chatting and making small talk. As much to pass the time as to be social.

– The sweet irony of the sun coming out at mile 99.8….really.

I’d call this a great weekend and now I’m legs up on the couch, soaking in the Giants victory comfortable in the knowledge that for as hard as cycling may seem sometimes – getting nuked in races, rainy mornings, and struggling up hills at the end of long rides – that this sport, this thing of ours that those who don’t ride, don’t get – has given me far more than it has taken from me.

Happy New Year, everyone….