Winter Commuting and CXing’ into 09….

The first week of January for 2009 started off with some decent commuter miles. Post Christmas I was afforded the opportunity to test out some new gear including a nice Soma insulated mug for my morning hot apple cider, and some super warm pearl lobster gloves. I thought they were definitely overkill but I’m looking forward to putting them to good use in more cold weather. More to come on them, as the testing continues. With an increase in bus fare this semester per ride for students and UT staff, I will actually get to apply a dollar amount to my commute. This past week I was afforded the chance to test my cold mettle. I left the house Thursday morning at 12 degrees and I managed to get all the way to work without freezing to death. My bottle and new mug fared a little less well.

Even my boiling hot apple cider was no match for the epic cold.

In Columbia, the single speed races and cx1/2 were being run at the same time and I was able to convince the race organizer to let me ride my SS for the first 30 min for the single speed race and then hop onto my geared bike for the rest of the 1/2 race, which went for an hour. Tanner and Travis, two Nashville kids hell bent on making me puke in the start of both single speed races, made me fight hard at the beginning of the races, but with my fresh legs and their already been engaged in epic battles legs, I was luckily able to stay up right in otherwise slick conditions and just slip away.

Mud in the woods.

How to properly navigate a large ditch.

How to make it a little more exciting.

My biggest surprise for the weekend was that I was able to pull away from everyone in the CX 1/2 field minus Troy, who was out for a joy ride the whole time systematically destroying us. This would have been surprising enough at first glance, but was made even more surprising in the fact that I was able to gap the guys behind me on my single speed, in the first half of the races. Now this was strange. Several guys behind me have dusted me before in both mtn bike and cross races but it just seemed too weird. The jury is still out, and as well as I might have been geared for the courses, I can only attribute my success to chandler waffles (courtesy of my mom), the infield airport, and a loaded greasy biscuit from the continental breakfast at the Hampton before both days.

The cat 3 field gave close and very exciting races all weekend.

In the center of the largest field where the race was being held there is a huge runway for the local remote flyer club. Members of the club were flying planes all around during the races and I couldn’t help but watch a few laps and just maybe this took the edge of the pain off every now and then. Before we left the venue we were treated to spectacular crash of a F-117A stealth bomber mock up, which for some reason cratered and shattered into a million pieces. I wonder if there is a crash replacement warranty.