Wednesday Night Cross

Well, this is a week late, but last Wednesday we headed over to Bradley Palmer for ECV's weekly cross practice.

It was great to pull up and see a strong showing and a wide range of abilities.
The practice loop is a bit small, only a few minutes at best. They manage to put in a couple of technical turns, an off camber section and one forced dismount (barriers).

In typical cross fashion there was a good friendly vibe emanating from the workout.
I think that the general structure to the evening goes like this:

Any time before 5:30, ride laps and get aerobic work or a warm-up done.
Meet up at 5:30 and work on some technical aspect of cross. We worked on a couple of techniques for dismounting and going over barriers. I picked up that last week they worked on starting techniques.
Take a little unorganized break.
Partner up and do some Madisons on a re-routed part of the course. We did 5 Madisons.
Take another unorganized break.
Practice some starts.
Head back to the car in the dusk and try fruitlessly to avoid the EEE mosquitoes.

Explicitly focusing on and discussing skills and drills was a pretty good way to spend a practice and to hone some talent. But it made for a far less aerobic workout than the 'one on, one off' style of the West Hill Wednesday night practice. And arguably when you go 'round and 'round, lap after lap your gonna get sharper at dismounts and sprinting out of corners and elbowing etc without going slow and breaking it down. A mixture of the two perhaps?

On another note thank you to the two people that gave up tubes for me. I showed up completely unprepared and owe a couple of six packs to Tim and the nice lady I madisoned with. Maybe I'll see them at Gloucester.

Autumn

It's defiantly not summer any more.

Well, clearly.

It's not like I need to announce that in the middle of September.

Labor day has come and gone. Schools are filled back up. Trees are already changing and shedding. And it's getting cold....

It always comes as a surprise to me once September hits. But alas. It's time to dig out the armwarmers and the leg warmers and the long fingered gloves, sigh, and the toe booties and the vests... and I shudder at the thought of having to do a swim bike brick. (10 min T1 with a wardrobe change? I think so.)

But it's the way it goes yah? And it's all in the name of Clearwater baby.