hillsboro evidence and results; future racing plans

Cyclocrossers of the Serengeti, engaging in the ritual bike wash at the communal watering hole:
















(Special thanks to Einer Traa for the photo)

Results are in: I placed 28th out of 31 racers in Masters' Women 45+.
Over half of us managed three laps on a tough, muddy and long course.
I had a fantastic race experience and couldn't be more pleased.

I also had to make a decision about my next races. I was originally going to race at Barton Park next week but there's another event that I really want to go to the same day; and I would have had to race with Beginner Men in the morning in order to be at both events with transportation and clean-up time in between.

Then, Mielle told me that the OBRA State Championship race, which will be on November 20th in Salem, will offer a separate category for Womens' Singlespeed. To say that I had a Pavlovian response to this news would be an understatement.

Finally, Sweetie reminded me that we needed to dig a third bed and put the other two vegetable plots away for the winter; and, um, we really need to do that before it becomes winter for real. I looked out the window at our little garden and knew it needed some serious love, in the form of compost, cardboard, straw and some heavy lifting.

My choice became clear. I knew I would have to skip the Barton Park race and stay home next weekend, and try to make it to the OBRA race the weekend after that. I am still trying to score an ideal ride situation to and from Salem but I think that will happen soon. I am truly sorry to miss Barton, it's a really fun course and I was going to go out with my bike buddy Maria. But I need to maintain The Balance, and sometimes juggling all the pieces means I have to drop one.

So I am officially done with Cross Crusade this year. I am glad I went out on such an excellent note! I hope to make it to OBRA Championships, where I'm pretty sure there will be more than three women in the Womens' Singlespeed race and a medal is not such a sure thing by any means. I am still committed to (and signed up for) USGP-Portland next month, after which that will definitely be IT. (Hopefully, my bike -- whose bottom bracket and hubs are beginning to sound horrible, in spite of my best efforts, will make it to December 5th.)