it started for me... it has already been happening for others... it started for me


this effort to write something was heavily distracted by the sound of a crying child
a five year old without enough sleep having a hard time adjusting to the hours of school versus the freedom of summer
the crying continues
this rant changes tense...
this collection of words needs a re-read
I am not sure if this re-read is going to happen

Cyclocross in The District: Cyclocross practice in Fort Reno Park

Sunday it happened...
it was not cool... definitely not cold... the grass did not have a morning dew...
it was dry... it was still clearly August
although it was not feeling entirely like DC in Summer
sure.... cool for August in DC... but nothing near to actually being cold
no bit to the air... no sign of anyone's breath
dust... but no morning mist
there may have been a morning mist earlier in the day
not being a morning person I am not that sure what things look like in the earlier part of the day

too warm for knickers I attended an informal gathering to practice cyclocross
definitely too humid for knickers... yet I felt I was ready to start thinking cyclocross
definitely way too hot for wool... yet it is definitely time to start thinking cyclocross
yes... even if it did not seem like fall
it still felt like it was time to get the cross bike over to Fort Reno Park in the am on Sunday for an informal cyclocross practice

on Saturday I had to work... it was the Kennedy Funeral which caused me to be called into work
after pretty much a full day I left out with just little time left for a ride
no energy and not much ambition... but a little time
with all my gear on my body and my body on the bike I just was not feeling it
to my credit I rode a direction other than straight home thinking even some mellow miles are miles
my level of fitness is such that I can definitely use some miles on the bike

cell phone in hand with the wheels still spinning I checked in with my wife and it was approved that I could go for a short ride
it was agreed that I would touch base on their location in an hour or so... I had already been on the bike for forty five minutes
in an hour I would call to know if I should finish my ride by pointing to the pool or home

my ride was slow... slow and social...
I was looking for distractions
had I had the camera I would have ditched the ride and played with the camera
that said... I never saw anybody that had me regretting that I had not brought the camera

there are times for ride
there are times for the camera
it is often difficult to balance them both
to think of the camera detracts from my effort on the bike
it is that simple
so when I am really going to ride... I need to put the camera aside

at one point I rolled at a jogging pace as I talked with a friend who is married to Dave V also of DCMTB
anna pushed a baby jogger that was occupied by their youngest of three
their first girl... who is not looking so much like a baby and more like a toddler
we talked while I rolled, anna jogged, and eva looked on
in that short exchange it was asked if I were going to Fort Reno to practice cyclocross
at that point I had not really given it that much thought
the words had passed on the team email
but the actual event never really became a consideration

after enough time chatting when I could be riding I got back on the pedals and started pushing things on the Capital Crescent Trail where I found the motivation to link up with Beach Drive where I would loop past the Mormon Temple and ride out to Garrett Park Road and then back
on the way back I tried to motivate myself with some short high intensity bursts
I managed to get the short part down but had very little luck with the intensity


slowing the bike to check in with base I found that Lisa and the boys are no longer at the pool and had already arrived home
being right by the City Bikes Chevy Chase shop I got a pass to kill some time at the bike shop

again I got chatty... a little banter between Welp and then Chito
I shopped around and ended up getting a helmet and some lube
the helmet on my head got thrown away
the lube was needed
a new helmet to replace the glove hand smelling helmet I had was almost vital


as I was finally on the bike and ready to head home after already staying longer than my assigned time I see DCMTB team mate Raul pull into the shop
so I turn it around and say hello to Raul
again there is mention of this informal cyclocross gathering a
t Fort Reno Park that my brother has set a time for

earlier the seed had been planted
there had been some gestation
now in talking to Raul the idea started to grow
back home I propose to lisa the idea of me attending this cyclocross clinic
without any deals or promises
never did I have to get on my knees and beg
the permission slip was signed and I was approved for a Sunday Morning of cyclocross at Fort Reno Park

perhaps I would have done better to have had two less beers and captured two more hours of sleep
but I was there... Red Bull could have assisted the coffee that had not waked my body enough to want to eat before I rode across town to make the 8:30 start time


there was a good showing
a handful of DCMTB people
a handful of non-DCMTB people
a wide range of speed and familiarity

the course was introduced with a few slow laps than at the start of the third lap would be two hot laps... for some people race pace... for others some sort of work out pace
this would be the structure of the morning
a few slow laps... then a few fast laps... then on with your day

early in the practice there was a crash
I saw the crash in my peripheral but had not thought much of it
as it turns out a man named Connor tore/stretched/or strained some ligaments
initially it was thought to be a dislocated shoulder

heal up fast Connor
and all others out there
respect the dangers of the bike

practiced ended and I was feeling pretty spent
I rode back downtown with Cory and Matt
arriving home where I gobbled up the remaining eggs and bacon
food that I had to microwave
food that would have done me so much better before the practice yet still tasted so good after