MILFORD CROSS!

It was so rainy on Sunday in Vermont that I didn't want to ride so instead I went to the Milford Cross race in New Hampshire. I hadn't been on the bikes yet this year, which was a bit nervous-making, so I decided to race the race before the women just to remember how to ride in an environment where I knew I would not be preoccupied with how fast I went or what place I came in. So I just rode around with the men's 3/4, trying to be smooth and use little gears. The course was pretty technical, a short lap with not much pavement, lots of turns on wet grass, one sand pit and three barrier sets. It was a good thing I did this because the seats on both my bikes slipped because I had not tightened them enough, and I would have been irritated if this happened in the women's race. The women's race just felt calm - it was a totally new experience for cross, this trying to be smooth, racing without gasping and flailing. I don't think I had a choice since my legs were pretty dead from the hill climb. Rebecca (Wellons) had more horsepower than I did, but I was doing some corners better and held my small gap. A goal of mine for the season is to learn to treat races according to the purpose they serve in the bigger picture, to not care how I do or read too much into a result. So I am glad to meet the objective of being smooth, but after last season - make that the last two seasons - I would be lying not to say it feels really good to win. I LOVE NEW ENGLAND CROSS. Altogether this grass-roots weekend killed all my cynicism about racing. Photo from Paul Weiss.