Oh the Huge Manatee

I have recently lost track of the score, but it was something like Connecticut 9 - Aaron 0.  I have now had 1 leech, 1 hornet sting, 1 bee sting (on the neck during a criterium race), and I lost track of how many times I got poison ivy after about 5 or 6.  So if you're coming this way, be warned.

I was feeling down when I came out here with poison oak or some other mystery rash, but I've toughened up a little since then.

Cannondale Factory Racing Team

Today the Cannondale Factory Racing Team stopped by work for lunch and a mountain bike ride on the Cannondale R&D trails at Bogus mountain.  We had a dog and pony show meet and greet over lunch and then a nice big group ride.  The team riders are much surlier and more technically skilled than I could have imagined.  They started the ride by racing wheelies around our parking lot, with Marco taking the lead after 2 and a half laps.  Then they embarrassed us by bush whacking off trail to pass us mere mortals before clearing every bit of trail we rode.  Some of the trails behind our office are nearly impossible for me to ride cleanly and challenge our best riders.  These guys showed us all up without even knowing the trails.  Oh to be world class...

More info on CFR: http://www.cannondale.com/usa/usaeng/News-CFR
Image borrowed without permission from www.cannondale.com

Race the Worlds

I got all pumped up to race the citizens' race on the World Cup MTB course at Windham Mountain in New York.  I decided that this would be a good place for me to upgrade to CAT 2 in mountain biking racing.  The course was very climby, probably even too climby for me, but it was a lot of fun.  I didn't finish well enough to really brag, but I'll try it anyway.  I finished 5th in my age group, which some might say is a podium finish.  That was 5 of 9 finishers and I'm not sure how many dropped out, maybe about 5 or so.

The course was surprisingly technical for a cross country race.  I enjoyed a number of wooden bridged and structures and some excellent, techincal pick-your-way down descents.  One of my favorite parts of the course was a stretch of trail known as blackout where you drop into dark woods from an open trail.  It was a little tough to ride and I only like it because the name was appropriate.

I had had it in my mind that cross country racing was generally for wimps - wimps who are stronger and faster than me, but still wimps.  The other races I have done on the East Coast have been techy, as in general the terrain here is much much more technical than San Luis Obispo.  For those familiar with mountain biking in SLO, most of our trails here are on par with rock garden.

More photos of the event: http://singletrack.competitor.com/2010/08/uncategorized/windham-world-cup-2010-photo-gallery_10031
http://www.racewindham.com/
Image borrowed without permission from www.cannondale.com