Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Nort-WRECK-hampton CX Part 1

So there's this little cyclocross event known as Northampton. You know... you and your closest 149 fellow cyclocrossers:

Men's 3s preparing to start

This was the 21st annual Cycle-Smart International and was certainly no disappointment. The crisp, fall weather left an ever-changing course with frosty, slick grass, sticky mud, and heavy sand.  As usual, many of the categories were capped (at 150) and even the Women Amateurs' class had 80-90 women competing, depending on the day.  Woo, that's a lot of elbows to get throw at the start!

Both days, I started close to the back but was fortunate enough to work my way up to my "usual crew," who started about the 4th row. It was super fun to actually be RACING with a group, instead of the typical women's races where it's not much more than an individual time trial.  It was a fast, intense race with just the right mix of technical cornering, balls-to-the-wall descents, train-track jumping (no crashing this time!!), and grueling, leg-, lung-, and head-pounding, out-of-the-saddle sprints from every corner.  Doesn't that just sound like a ball full of FUN?  
The lesser of the challenges...
Oh yay, the hill...
Lead 'em all the way to the finish line... booya!















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