CX Nationals and the fine print and the NA swim meet

More on the Rules later

Noah and I took a trip to Kansas City for USA Cycling's Cyclocross Nationals. We both raced the same day...Friday December 12th...Noah Jrs 13-14 @ 10:00am and me 45 - 49 @ 3:00pm...No sweat. We get down there before 9:00am and get Noah all squared away. Unfortunately it was warming quickly and freeze- frost and moisture that KC had earlier in the week was melting on the surface. By the time the Jr's raced...it was goo. Noah's bike selection...IE MTB bike...didn't work out so well.

Knife to Gun fight sticks in my brain as appropriate term...this is Noah's bike at the finish. It gummed up so bad, he couldn't even ride it. This picture doesn't do it justice. The chain wouldn't even go through the rear der.

He was forced to run...


All the way to the finish...but finish he did. 26th place.

OK - Yes, I Browsed the Rule book...I quickly read through the rule book to determine if my SuperFly 29er would be legal under USAcycling rules for Cross...It is for all cross races, BUT, NOT for Nationals. I was singled out by the officials on the start line, and told I could not race because my bike didn't meet UCI rules. They apparently changed the rules this year...Yeah...Let's make bike racing even more elitist and force everyone to have yet another bike! I digress

So the officials say "you can start on the back of the field and when you pass the pit you must change bikes"..."with what I ask?" Dan Hansen formerly from Lincoln offered his bike up on the start line...All I had to do is figure out which one was his? That said they started us. I had a great start - the SuperFly was perfect in the soft stuff still out on course. Most of the loose mud had hardened enough that by 3:00 our race start, there was a nice groove throughout the course. I took the liberty to do the full lap before pitting working up to about 60th I would guess... But, upon multiple requests from the officials, I finally pit as I make my way through the start finish beginning the 2nd lap. I get to the pit and I can't find Dan's bike...it would have been too small anyway. So in a DUH moment it was suggested that I use one of the Orbea pit bikes with SRAM. All we had to do is take off the platform pedals they had on the bike and switch with mine on my bike and set the seat height...Thanks Matt T for pitting and helping with the transition. Finally after about...I don't know 5 minutes? 1/2 a lap? I got going again. Never used SRAM shifters before. What a terrible place to learn. Took me a lap to get it figured out. So anyway, Troy's prediction of Steve Tilford lapping me came true with 2 laps to go...Shoot. 1st through 7th or 8th ended up lapping me before the finish...But I clawed my way back to 75th for the finish. Bummed I didn't get a chance to see what I could really do.

Me with Pit bike.

Lesson - always read the fine print folks.

Other news, got back into town Friday night and Noah and Abbi had their first swim meet at Bob Devaney Swim pool on Saturday and Sunday. They've only been swimming in club Swimming since mid November so I'm proud of both of them... They did great. They are swimming for Lincoln Select Swim team and newer club in town that practices at Lincoln Southwest High. Noah made all his event Championship heats with his best placing in the 100 Breaststroke getting 3rd. Abby did well too. She made the consolation heats for the 100 and 50 breast stroke. She is still on the young side of her 11-12 year old age group...so tough competition. Both the kids are loving it though. Noah's on the left pic with the green stripe shorts. Ab's has the green suit there in the front of the pic on the right.