Hi! Thanks for starting this thread. My older son and I are new to CX via my younger son and I love it.

I raced last weekend (same race as midschool22). We were both in the same group, Cat 4b, along with my older son. My younger son raced the Junior 15 - 18 race earlier in the day. This was my second cross race ever and I came in 88 out of 100! It was a four lap race but I was lapped just at the end of my 3rd lap by the winner so was pulled at the end of three laps along with the 5 or 6 guys behind me. There were also a few guys that were DNF. There were probably 500 racers at Hopkins Park and both the Cat 4 races were maxed out at 100. For me, as a new racer, I found the start to be the most difficult and stressful part of the race, followed by the single track section, primarily due to the jostling between riders in such close quarters. The barriers, run up, and flyover were fine. Fitness wise I have a way to go but I finished and wasn't last.

My first race was was in Lake Geneva, a few weeks ago and it was the beginner race, which was 1 lap around the course Lake Geneva was quite challenging with two run ups, a flyover, several barriers, and a sand pit (which I ran). I crashed in that race when I lost traction going up a steep hill. My tires were totally inappropriate for the race (basically a commuter type tire) and I have since switched out to 700x33 maxxis raze. My younger son raced in Lake Geneva as well and won, but he was on the stock cross tires that came with his Focus, 700x35 Continental "Cyclocross Speed", which were total crap. He now has Clement Crusade PDX 700x33 clinchers and they are awesome.

My two boys also did the USGP race in Madison a couple weeks ago. I did a warmup lap with my older son before his race (Cat 4) and opted out of racing. My back was killing me from the Lake Geneva crash and the course seemed too technically challenging for a novice like me. Both my boys did well and this was my older sons first race.

Here are some pics (of my kids) from the races:

I was a spectator at this race and I remember this kid!! I cheered for him up that hill with the rail road ties!!! I love CX! (but not a racer) It is a goal to race one or two next year.

Here are a few pics I shot from the USGP two weeks ago in Sun Prairie WI.

Ryan Trebon and Jeremy Powers lead the elite men into the barriers.



Rapha Focus elite women riders Julie Krasniak and Gabby Day take the barriers

Me after hitting the deck superman style. Going nowhere without the chain on. Thanks to Amy (velogrrl on flickr) for the snap.

Here is a pic someone took at our race yesterday. This is NOT me. They had a set of three shorter barriers in a row. The good/brave riders bunny hopped them three in a row. The brave novice riders tried to bunny hop and crashed. The conservative riders, like me, ran them. This section was FILLED with hecklers during my race.


Dan Ryan Woods Cyclocross by KyleMistry, on Flickr

I raced the 4b race today in Carpentersville, IL. There were rain showers, thunder storms, and tornado warnings throughout the day and the Cat 1/2/3 race was canceled due to weather. The Cat 4 races are always last and the tornado warning eventually ended, allowing us to race. My younger son raced the Junior 15-18 race earlier in the day, placing 7th, and was lucky weather wise and also raced the 4b race with my older son and I. He did great in the 4b race, which was very competitive, and placed 12th out of 74. I got 66 out of 74 and my older son, whose rear brake broke during the first lap, placed 38th!

The course was very challenging due to the mud, which was ankle deep in a couple places by the time I raced, and the weather, which was a combination of high winds and heavy rain.

My wife didn't join us today so I didn't get any pictures of the race during the rain storm but have included a couple of my younger son below from his junior race.

It was supposed to be ridden but by the time we got to it everyone ran it. The mud was way too thick to ride the bumps.

Sent in my registration today, racing on Saturday.

http://www.bikecyclisme.org/CanbyCXChallenge/

Awesome! Which race are you doing?

The 3 peaks looks bloody mental!

I CX!!! A couple of years ago I said I would never do it...and then last year I got talked into it. Now it's my favorite bike-related activity. I've done 3 races this season...at the last race I won the women's Kisscross C race by >23 seconds!


In Feb. I turn 40, but I don't think I will race master's next year, since there is no women's master's race, so we all get lumped together. I like that I was the oldest woman in the C field that I won.

We haven't had much mud...yet. It rained a lot this week, so tomorrow's race should be pretty messy, I hope (our soil is really sandy, so we don't get the same sorts of mud potential that some areas get). Not sure how likely it is that I will repeat with another win. A friend of mine hasn't raced all season, but is racing tomorrow. She is REALLY strong. Hopefully I can land in the top 3.

Today was my third cross of the year. I'm slowly but surely figuring some things out. This particular course is the longest in the series at just under 2.5 miles long. Normally we just do four laps on shorter routes but on this one we did three. Nothing real difficult about it, just long. Two barrier sets, a couple woods sections and a few small incline sections with off cambers on them.

Got staged the back at 83rd. As always, you want to be somewhat near the front. Started fine. Found a few sections to blow by a few riders at a time. Barriers must be my thing. I can make up time running them while others are just getting back on the bike. Unless riders are purposely slowing down to save energy. Avoided a few crashes, made up some spots there.

Did manage to swipe a small tree but stayed on the bike so no crashes this time. Although I did smack my shin WALKING over a barrier in pre-ride. LOL. All in all, it was a good ride. It was a homecoming sort of speak for me. This race was my first last year and got 90th out of 93 finishers. This time I got 67 of 93. Slowly but surely moving up.

On the right.

Hi All...living in Iowa and racing CX every weekend I can until the end of our season in mid-December. Having more fun this year...last year I was racing at about 175 pounds....this year around 160 pounds. So, watching nutrition and getting closer to opitmal race weight has paid dividends. Did my first Cat. 3 CX race...I was probably the oldest in the Cat. 3 pack at race age 53, but I wasn't last, so that was good.

A tip.... a couple years ago I fractured my right collar bone in a crit crash...they put in a plate which is still on the bone. For CX racing I now wear a padded Under-Armor type sport t-shirt that is typically worn by American football players under their should pads. So, I just put the padded t-shirt on, and put my jersey over the top. The padding is sufficient to minimize the discomfort when I shoulder my bike, but not so bulky that anyone would probably notice I am wearing it. Another advantage is that it has pads on both rib cages...which will be helpful should I slide out on a corner (which I've done more than once). I bought this at Scheel's Sporting Goods Store...they had several styles, and I chose one that was both moderately priced and moderately padded.

Good luck with your CX races this season!