2009 Blogs
Two years ago, I raced the inaugural ‘Cross Vegas, the cyclocross race which kicks off the mayhem of Interbike. I promised myself that I would never come back again…I am not a huge fan of the whole idea of Las Vegas. First, it’s the middle of the desert and bloody hot. But how many waterfalls and fountains are there? Then there’s the fact that daylight is slept away and life resumes at night with lights – sparkling lights, twinkling lights, shiny lights, bright lights. Oh, and we race on a soccer complex with some of the most vibrant green grass I have ever seen, surrounded by as much brown and as many lights. I guess it’s a good place to visit, because the relief of leaving is so intense. Sorry to complain, but I need to add that riding through wet cement really put the icing on the cake. Yup, two years ago I went out for a morning spin before the race that night. Splattering, like riding through mud and I realize that wet cement from an area of road is spraying on me.
Alright Debbie downer, this year was better. I arrived on Thursday afternoon and was able to get on the bike for a couple of hours with Dan Ellmore from Schlamm. I was pleased to see the grass a bit less green and thick, however it still proved to be energy zapping. It was over 100 degrees when Dan and I rode out there (him without a water bottle!), and after a single lap we were parched, zapped and ready to head back to the lights.
The next morning I bought my $4 cup of drip coffee and “Perfect Oatmeal” from Starshmucks. Wow their perfection is way off kilter. Then off to the Interbike Show for a few leg numbing hours of bizness. Later, the real fun began at the Desert Breeze soccer complex. Our race began at 7:50pm…right when I’m normally flossing, brushing my teeth, pulling my bed out from the wall and hoping for a good night’s sleep. The call-ups were exciting, as the fans and cowbells were loud and the beer was flowing mellifluously. The start was fast, furious, and a shock to the system. My first lap was solid after losing my front-row start position, then fighting for it back and finding a good wheel. As I entered the barriers I kind of forgot what I was doing and almost tripped! My legs felt like logs and I guess I forgot to pick my bike up. So that was ugly and I opened up my first gap there.
My race turned into a slog, riders trickled passed me and I was unable to hold wheels. Eventually I found somewhat of a rhythm, albeit slow and painful, and a chase group finally formed, containing LVG, Sydor and some others. Those two are no slugs, especially when coming into the finishing straight! On the final lap I picked the hardest part of the course to go ape-shit. On the farthest side from the announcer’s stand, there is a brutal hill that is mostly hidden from light. The grass is the thickest here, thick like setting cement…think of sprinting on flat tires while also on something squishy like a jelly fish. My attack stuck to the finish, though LVG was reeling me in rapidly, and that was the sprint for 9th. So, all in all, not a race I look back on with fond memories, but solid in a wet-asphalt sort of way. The worst part is how dry it is. After a 40-minute effort you sound as though you’ve been smoking for 40 years, and my voice and throat didn’t feel close to normal until a few days following – just in time for another balls-to-the-wall effort in Wisconsin!