Birthday.

This morning as I was getting off work and the guys were wishing me "Happy 40th" on today, my 38th birthday, Mike convinced me to meet him and another Mike, retired ff, to race cyclo-cross at PIR. It's been over a year since I jumped into one of these races and had no plans...so figured why not? I raced with the Mike's in their Men's Beginner group. The first thing I noticed was the size of the field! There had to be over 100 people!! Compared to the women's fields, or at least what they were when I was racing, this was huge! I started to line up at the front of the pack and Mike stopped me. "No, we want to start back here." "Back here" was the last third of the bunch. I'm thinking how in the heck are we going to make it through this mess of riders to get in front during the race?? Mike said, "I'm not here to win the thing. I just want to have fun." His point was well-taken. I lined up in between Mike and Mike. I had just enough time to register and find Mike so I hadn't pre-ridden the course at all. Mike told me what he could, "There's a hell of a lot of mud and the run up has a 6 pack of barriers with a windmill you have to run through." With reconnaissance complete the gun went off and we moved like a giant glob of molasses through the mud towards first bend.

During races like these, in the beginning...when I still have enough energy to think outside of the pain, I always have to laugh at the concept that we are all moving roughly 5miles an hour and call it "racing." The conditions at the start and a few other points in the race were so muddy it was a challenge to move fast enough to stay upright on your bike. People are waving the cowbells yelling, "Yeah! Go girl you're doing awesome!" Then there is this somewhat funny and awkward silence because I've only moved 30 inches since the spectator compassionately cheered me on. He's got to be thinking..."Should I give her more bell and say it again...or just pretend she's not still moving at a snail's pace directly in front of me?"

I don't know what he chose because I was concentrating so hard on my route. Should I go through the 12" deep puddle not knowing what type of surface lies beneath? Or, should I "barrel" through the 6" deep sludge that just caused that dude in front of me to go down? Puddle. Good choice!! Rode through. :]

Running uphill with my bike on my shoulder and jumping over barriers was fun. I passed people really feeling the beginning of some power coming back to my legs since the marathon. The downhills were another story. I slipped and slided landing on my clean white race kit more than a few times. It's always better to look hardcore anyway. Schultz on the other hand, told me after the race that he had learned to negotiate the off-camber downhill and rode the whole thing! He chose to run through the muddy flats and discovered he could pass multiple racers...but was more exhausted than when he snail-peddled through. Liel got out front early, but when I saw a hole I passed and never looked back. I didn't get to hear or see him race after that. But he looked recovered and fresh when we finished. Both him and Mike talked and ate at breakfast denying any pain or soreness. Meanwhile my muscles were screaming at me. My glutes and hamstrings were having a conversation all their own while I ate my garden scramble in silence. Liel was sweet enough to give me kudos for the Ironman races I ran over four years ago. I sat there amazed that these two guys raced the same race I did and felt no pain, as much as I train...ok so not on my bike...details. All I could think was what a great way to spend my birthday, covered in mud, muscles aching, surrounded by friends. I asked Schultz if he wanted my hash browns. He did. I swiped them off my plate onto his, looking forward to a nap.

Great day.