HPCX was good fun this year. Great to see a number of Kissenas on one or both days. Saturday was super hilly and similar to Brendan, I managed to get tangled in course tape. Joy. Here are a couple of phone pics from Saturday including a series of Brendan on the ground. Oh the ignominy

Today was great fun even though I had little in my legs and had a dismal result. Everything else that makes cyclocross awesome was in full regalia: teammates, weather, a fun course, competitive spirit, the list goes on. 

Sunday was a completely different beast. In the morning Max and Brendan faced dry-ish conditions. Here is some video of their exceptional sand riding skills. I am a little embarrassed by my enthusiasm.

https://youtu.be/Xtx0u4ZZe28

https://youtu.be/C_ZC1hWDdZM

So the heavens opened up and started pouring during the 45+ race that Eloy, Jim N., Thierry and I were in. I have never been so covered in wet sand. My bike felt like it weighed 50 pounds. More concerning to me was the constant sound of a grinding drivetrain and disc brakes throughout the race. We do this for fun, right?

I was able to get some photos of Phil and Jim F. in the 35+ and 55+ fields respectively. The rain came down even harder at that point. They look so badass. While not an official Kissena anymore I am also throwing in a picture of Marc who sprinted the sandpit faster than any of the leaders were riding it! It was something to behold. 

Awesome weekend of racing at HPCX.

Great to see so many Kissenistas both days, so much looking sharp!

Day 1 report:

• Gorgs fall day at Thompson Park
• Good start
• End up battling in a group of four, with Jason Livingood, Rod Millot, and a few seconds behind, top nemeses: Barry Jones.
• Mostly trade punches with Jason and specially Rod
• 2 to go, I have a small 2-3 seconds to them by the barriers, but I stumble coming out of them -- not sure how/why, testament to being in the red
• I come out still ahead, but no gap, both Jason and Rod pass me as we get the bell
• Keep pushing, give it all I got in the climb to the stairs, passing and dropping them as we continue up past the stairs
• Maybe a bit cautious the last time to the barriers... I can hear someone breathing down my neck..., I assume is Rod
• He attacks the remount, passing me, but OMG OMG it is Barry!!
• Heart rates be maxed, but surprised and kinda excited, I let out a "Barry!! My main man!" he lets out a laugh!
• We take the last couple of corners to the finish full on beast mode
• to the line, to the line, to the line!
• Barry, then me, then Jason, then Rod
• Big hugs and high fives ensue past the line
• Punched a bit above my weight today. So much awesome, hard fun race.
• HPCX is a forever favorite
  

Day 2, way too long report:

• Rain + Sandpits at Thompson Park
• Flat my rear tubular 5 seconds into pre riding
• This is the only set I brought, so I'm sorta majorly freaking out
• Staging for my race is only 50 minutes away
• Pour a ton of stans into the thing
• Still freaking out, go looking for Brendan, in the my mind the top most Kissena mechanic sealant expert
• Brendan brings a ton of calm.
• He puts the hole down so sealant accumulates around it, and tells me to pin and get into my skinsuit
• Tire seems to be holding air
• Thanks, @Brendan Rigby, your calm and attittude was huge and made all the difference
• Go warm up and line up to race
• Thierry, Jim, and Patrick line up too. They look like fire. Honest.
• OMG, terrible start
• Course is slip and slide everywhere
• Can't ride the sand pits to save my life
• But I am ahead of Scotty Roberts, another big time nemeses
• There are a ton of tricky corners, there's a sort of camberish one, I'm taking it high-low, feels sooo super slow. Next lap I decide to go low-low, which I think should be much faster
• I am now in the ground, as I go slip and crashing, flying to the mud by taking the fast low-low line ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 
• As I lay there, fixing whatever shifter whateverness, Scotty and some other dude (Chris Labudde) pass me, and ride off together
• I'll eventually catch and pass Chris, but Scotty is gone.
• Results have me in the course for 57 minutes! 
• All the muddy corners, all the sandpits. So much sweet torture, cyclocross.

Let's go race bikes!!

Here is the video from Saturday's 45+ race. You can see Eloy and I pass each other a few times until I get tagged up in course tape at 11:45. Good times. Day 2 will get posted later.

https://youtu.be/u0qQqyE0GUY

Here is the video from the 45+ race on Sunday. No sun to be seen. Just rain sand and mud. Yum.

The sound of the sand in my drivetrain is distressing

https://youtu.be/D-p8AIQk9h8

BUMP!

Let's get a head count going.  
Who is going what days?  
What cars?

I may be going on Sunday

Planning on both days at 11:30 am. Not sure yet how I am getting there. Forecast for mud.

How was DC CX?

Saturday's forecast is dire, we will see mud.

Sunday will be all about the sand, so here, released today by Cameron Mason

Bump!

https://www.bikereg.com/hpcx

THIS SUNDAY!

Whose going?  What races?  

(I'd love to make this my cx debut, can coordinate on driving)

I'll be there. doing the 8am 40+ 4/5 race.

Back from self imposed exile for a few weeks. Been consumed by visiting family and mental exhaustion to travel and race. I'm signed up for HPCX, two races: Men 4/5 40+ 8am, and the Cat 1/2/3/4 Master Men 40+ at 10:30am. I might be giving @AnthonyOtt a ride, he's supposed to let me know a bit later in the week.

planning on being there, 11:30 am Masters 50+. 
It might be wet and muddy, also, sand pits!!

Have a zip car in reserve, but would love to catch a ride if anyone can offer one.

------
Let's ride some sand!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K79Tq5FJAeU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lAolKEnSFc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkxTR9vIUl0

Happy to do either the 40+ or 50+, depending on whose going when.

I just registered for the 8am 40+ 4/5 race. I have space for one person. I will need to leave around 10 am though. 

It looks like @AnthonyOtt is sitting out HPCX. I can pick someone up for the 8:00 am race. I am scheduled to race at 10:30 too, but, I might skip if I'm wrecked or the bike is completely gunked up with mud. I will have my small power washer with on board tank. Anyway, I don't want to stay too late since I would like to get home on the Island at a reasonable time. Google Maps has me going via GWB, so I as I said I can make a quick pickup along the way, and then drop off after.

AndrewJohnson said:

It looks like @AnthonyOtt is sitting out HPCX. I can pick someone up for the 8:00 am race. I am scheduled to race at 10:30 too, but, I might skip if I'm wrecked or the bike is completely gunked up with mud. I will have my small power washer with on board tank. Anyway, I don't want to stay too late since I would like to get home on the Island at a reasonable time. Google Maps has me going via GWB, so I as I said I can make a quick pickup along the way, and then drop off after.

There were water nozzles provided at the park outside the bathrooms when I raced there a couple years ago.

After a race the lines can be long. At Hippo CX last year the line was 45 min or more. I froze by the time I got back to the car. Thus I skipped race #2 as it was about to start by the time I got to the power washer. 

The pro move is to win and be first to the hose.

Sad to miss this one. Family responsibilities beckon

Looking forward to some race reports

jim_nelson said:

The pro move is to win and be first to the hose.

Even more pro , have your mechanic hose your bike

Mark Taylor said:

jim_nelson said:

The pro move is to win and be first to the hose.

Even more pro , have your mechanic hose your bike

Even, even, more pro: Hang out in the team bus after the race to warm up, clean up, and fuel up.

The bad weather changed my family plans and freed me up to race... in the rain. Got to get my head examined. 

@PatrickGrehan I was looking to see if there was an escape route 

Well it happened again , signed up for a bloody cross race
got up and asked my self what the fuck am I doing 
Jim drove and we got there early , pinned on my number only to find out the zipper was missing, hence the blue jersey 
The hill and sand were brutal , but I saw I was riding the off camber stuff better than those around me 
great to have @Remy Forgues as a carrot ,sorry  I didn’t get to say hello After ,

great times

HPCX was a ton of fun!!

• Like probably all of us, I struggled just to drive out to the venue, as the rain was hardcore.
• But once the race started was a ton of fun
• Unlike last year, when we had to run most of the course, today it was wet sloppy crazy muddy but all rideable
• Got a front row call up -- more to do with the small field, than my prowess
• Got an ok start, Patrick passed me on the Sand pit, but eventually got ahead of him early in the race
• He'll pass me back a bit later, and finish ahead by a spot or two
• The result doesn't quite show it, but I was super happy with my race, as I didn't make any major mistakes, and drove pretty well on these conditions
• Did struggle on the climb later in the race, which typically is a strength, but was definitely looking for one more gear. Wonder if as the disc pads get dirtier how much they rub, but guessing it was my legs.
• There was a bit of stress coming into this race, and the rain didn't help, but omg it was such a blast, in real awesome cyclocross conditions!!
• Sweet to see oh so many kissenistas out!!

Let's go race bikes!