Kenny & Bartley Report: Wisconsin CX Championship

This was the first true cross race of the year. I actually drove up on Saturday and rode the course. It started snowing while I was there making my preride nothing like the actual race.

The course had probably about an inch of snow and was a mushy, and in places, muddy mess. Turning became sketchy with me having to place a foot down from time to time and going down in the small sand pit. Between the Women's Cat. 4 race and the Men's and Women's Cat. 3 race
there was a small break to pre-ride the course. It started raining during this -- not drizzling but raining. I did wear rain gear for the warm up/preride but I was absolutely drenched by the time my race was over. Remarkably, I was not really cold during the race except for my feet.

I was hoping to do well in my first Cat. 3 race but, with the weather, most of the girls opted to stay home. There were six of us. Scanning the group, I knew my hopes of not being DFL in the race might be dashed. I ended up sixth, DFL. I had a bad start and had some "rider error" -- first, it was only my second time racing cross in the snow and I think I need more practice to feel comfortable going harder and practice actually mounting in wet, slippery conditions. Secondly, I listened to some advice on a cycloss forum about wearing two pairs of shorts to keep my butt warm. My butt was warm but the second pair of shorts slid down and kept getting caught
on my seat.

Eddie Bartley competed in the Masters 40+. His race was a little after mine. It had stopped raining and I'm not sure if the coursewould have been in better or worse shape by that time. I cheered him on for part of his race but I was freezing and my 16-month-old was bouncing off the walls in our CRV so I didn't stick around to see how he did. Hopefully, he'll give us a race report of his own.

We are supposed to have much better weather for the last Chicago series race. The forecast is for 40's. It'll seem balmy!
-Gina

Eddie adds:

I had a great time today with all the mud and what felt like ice water in my shoes the whole race.I got knocked off my bike in the first turn from the start .Boy you loose momentum in that stuff and its hard to get going again.And the running.Stuff that I would normally ride I had to run so today I had to learn to shoulder the bike.I know I lost places on the runups.Did I say run, YOu had to run completely to the top where the hill leveled off before you could get back on your bike and get going again.I don't think I made it to 4th gear today.All in all it was alot of fun and I learned how to shoulder my bike in a proper manner.I was in the red at the top of those runups.

I can't think of a better way to spend a cold rainy day.This was the complete package.Rain snow mud and Ice water.I've been Baptized into cyclocross today.Oh Gina my feet were frozen.I think neapreame sock would have been the order of the day.Dangit and I have a pair too.Oh yea I finished 7th in the 50+.There were about 12 of us mixed in with the 40+.Last chance to suffer next Sunday at Montrose harbor!!

Eddie Bartley