Cross out Crohns

This weeks Cross race found is traveling to Newton, IA. I raced here last year, and was sick the week before, so that result wasn't all that great, so hoping to improve on it.

Got there with plenty of time to walk around and check out the course, the layout was similar to last year as we started on the road, and shot in to a 90 degree left hander that the opening was only about 6 feet wide, so needed to be there up in front, a couple more spots that were tight before the first barriers, and then it opened up some after that.

I get to the line and was talking to the USCF official for a few while others were finishing warming up and rolling to the line, looked back and there was a good turnout, another 20+ in the field, we get the whistle to go, and I was able to get clipped in right away and was in the lead. I was able to continue my lead all the way through the first set of barriers, so that meant no piling up for me. We hit the first climb and I get a few guys going past me, I expected that, so I just got into a rhythm and tried to keep it for the whole race. A couple laps go by, and I was sitting in 9th place and the 2 behind me kept creeping up a little at a time. Now we are almost 25 minutes into the 45 minute race, and they get by me, but I can still see them and they are catchable if I get a good run, or if they begin to slow down. Next lap I was in my big ring on a road section, and when I went to get out of it I dropped my chain, not good, and they were gone. I did all I could to try and catch them quickly, but decided to wait and see if they slowed any, and since there was noone right behind me now, I could take it a little easier, but still try and go pretty hard. With about 40 minutes into it I am gaining on 2 of the guys now, and the leader is gaining on lapping me, so I just keep going along, get lapped, and try and catch up to the guy in front of me, about 1/2 way through that lap I catch and pass him, and never look back. Final lap now and I can see the guy right infornt of me, but I am not able to close the gap before the end, I think if we had one more lap I could have caught him.

We wait around for a little, talk to some people and watch the 1-2-3 race take off, and then realize results were up, go and check them and I got 10th place in the Cat 4 race. So now I have broken into the top 10 in a race, now to try for a top 5 spot. I have a weekend off, and then down to the Quad Cities on the 19th.

Cross out Crohns