KY USGP

This weekend I took a trip to KY to face a stacked field at round 2 of the USGP. I was greeted upon arrival with a KY size (ok, maybe a Texas size) truck... woah - they just let anyone drive these things!

(a big truck!)

I managed to drive this massive vehicle to our super host house without causing any major traffic accidents (or minor ones for that matter). I then quickly unloaded the bikes and went out for a little spin in the last bit of daylight. While I can't complain about the near perfect CA climate I now live in, I do miss the midwest fall... so it was refreshing to take a spin in the cool crisp air of a colorful fall evening.

(ahhh... fall)

The next two days we joined the herds of cyclists at champions park for lots of cyclocross fun. The organizers worked closely with the "weather gods" to bring in buckets of rain for the race, and they arranged for the rain to halt right before the weekend so we had muddy, yet sunny conditions -- well done organizers!! They also put together a fun and challenging course complete with mud puddles, sand pits, and a "Green Monster"!

(teamate Kari and I preparing to get muddy)

(yay mud!)

I struggled with bike mechanicals as well as some recovering legs this weekend, but still had a blast getting splattered with mud, battling it out with Katie "teenage phenom" Antonneau on day 2, and riding my bike for 40 minutes of lung bursting fun. Cross is the best!! In the midst of day 2's race I also made a dollar -- people just hand out money sometimes (did i mention that cross is the best?)! They also handed me a beer... and I think I disappointed them by not partaking... beer is just so yucky... i would have enjoyed a yummy beverage though.

(a dollar!)

Overall, it was a great weekend of racing against a top notch field. It was also wonderful to see a bunch of the Chicago/midwest cyclocross crew (and to hear all their cheers during the race... thanks :)!

Also, a big thanks to our host Whitney (and her sweet dog Lucy) for letting us take over your living room with bikes and for all the support from you and your Scheller's crew.

(living room takeover)

now... back home cleaning bikes...

(cleanup time)