For the Love of the Game

It's hard to share cross season with Major League Baseball. While I will always admit my love for cross, when it comes to October and the Red Sox are in the playoffs, my attention and heart are split. On Friday night, I took myself down to O'Connells bar in Old Town to watch the Sox-Angels game. I set myself up at the end of the bar, Sam Adams in hand. The Yankees-Indians game had gone into extra innings, so I sat perched, anxiously awaiting the outcome of this tied game. Eventually the Yanks lost (yay!) and the Sox game came on. As I watched, and my Sam Adams turned into another and another, the Sox were tied 3-3 and it was only the 5th inning and it was 1130 p.m. I paid my tab, hopped off of my stool and took myself back home. I crawled into bed, dehydrated and exhausted. My alarm would go off at 6am, so I could get myself to Hagerstown for AVC Cross (the 3rd MABRA race).

Since last weekend I found myself in a similar situation, hung over from the previous night's wedding (not mine), I was very determined to make it to the next day's race than I had been the week before. However, even though I was showered, dressed and all packed, every time my eyes opened the world couldn't help by spin past me. After a 20 minute deliberation/cat nap face down on the couch, I finally picked my sorry self up and sat myself behind of the wheel of the car, cross bike perched on top. Together, with the wind whipping through the car, we sped off for Hagerstown.

This is the part, I admit that I can't stand about being a B racer again. Sure, racing Women's A meant a longer race and harder competition, but racing at 1p.m. is so much nicer! Trying to get to a 10 a.m race that is 2 hours away with enough time to register and warm up can be painful.

Regardless, I arrived in good time to the race fairgrounds and I immediately recalled the course from last year. In my hung over fog, I walked to register, head in hand and sun glasses firmly in place over my eyes, despite the fact it was foggy and over cast. It was still too bright. (The fog was definitely a reason I got to the race in the first place as I hoped that it would rain; I love rainy cross races--the muddier, colder the better...).

I couldn't eat anything all morning without fear of disrupting my nauseous tummy, so I just hydrated the best I could. My warm up laps went remarkably well; it was when I was off the bike that the world continued to spin. I returned to my car to scrape up two asprin from my first aid pack and then rode to the start line. They were impressively ahead of time this year, as opposed to last when they had been woefully behind.

The women 3/4 started 2 minutes behind the cat 4 men. There were only 10 or 11 of us, and most talked down their cross skills at the start. Over the years, I've learned to disregard anything anyone says at the start race. I don't believe anything that comes out of anyone's mouth, no matter how convincing they sound. Truth is no one is as ever as bad as they say they are. Chances are they are much much better. And this race was no different. I don't understand why women are so afraid to boast. Hell, if I was as good as they were that's all I'd ever talk about. I'd pin my race resume to my back for all to see.

I know I don't sound like a stellar racer today: partially drunk and hung over; barely hydrated and unfed, but there was a smile on my face when the whistle blew. I am obviously dedicated to this sport to be racing in such a condition. Who cares if these gals beat me off the line, I knew none of them would be out here in such a state. In fact for the brief time we were in a pack together, all anyone did was bitch. This course is too bumpy, too this, too that. Oh shut up. It's cross, it's supposed to be bumpy and hard.

The one girl I battled against, quit (or so I thought) after the first lap and so I was left by my lonesome, but I didn't mind. I loved this fast course; I even felt fast, and that aspirin was kicking in so I felt new again. They didn't race us for a full 40 minutes; we could have probably raced another 1 or 2 laps, but they finished up right after the lead men's riders lapped us.

I finished 9th overall, out of 11. I know next week I'll be back out. Hopefully it will be rainier and colder.

Best of all, the Sox won their game against the Angels.