5 Days of Halloween

5--I knew the Halloween countdown had started Saturday when Matt was applying sutures in the field at Chimborazo Cross Race. Sally hit the gravel on her last lap and the bloodsuckers swarmed in.
4-- Sunday at Cilismo Cross, I checked out Frankencross, Art's pieced together cross bike. He claims Dan gave him the cadaver, but we all know he got it from a graveyard. I love the recycled look and the industry of scronging around for cable stops and a 1 inch fork.

3-- Speaking of bloodsuckers, the Y pulled me in Monday out of the season's first chill. I joined back for the winter, though the $57 per month will have me there only through March.

2--Tuesday night we practiced cross at Mount Trashmore where Wiccans were gathered for what appeared to me to be an early Halloween. I tried not to do the barriers and run up in rhythm with their drum beat, but I could not help myself. (Shawn and Jimmy are in the foreground.)

1--On Halloween, the darkness overcame two of our light systems on the Wednesday night ride. Mine died in the Ipswitch trail, so Lori (left) gave me one of her 2 lights, and Tom's light (right) also died, so Starkey lent his spare. Sally, Mike and I tried to catch the Inaugural Norfolk Alley Cat race, but we missed the start. I later about hit Dinsmore (rather he about hit me) as he sprinted past my car. I figured he must have been in the race, and I heard that he won.

Team got backbone

We had our women's annual team dinner last night at Bardo in Norfolk. It was a great time to honor our 3 Virginia Best All Around winners and our team captain who just upgraded to Category 2.

It was also a time to honor the women who do much of the race promotion work for the team. Susan (top left) has been the race director for the region's most prominent bicycle race (Norfolk Cycling Classic) for 6 of the 7 years it has happened. Sandy (top right) works the whole day for at least one event a year to support the team and her racing son, Young Mark.

Katrina (bottom left) organizes the volunteer tasks and schedules for the Norfolk Cycling Classic, a daunting life-sucking job I can assure you. And Lisa is the expert at producing the race results for most all our events (usually 3 per year), along with other area teams' events.

Stations of (Iron)Cross V

(left, You've got to admit, there are similarities. That's Hosang on left and Jesus on right. Cycling photo by Chuck Armstrong, used by permission.)

If there is a Catholic Hell, I am going there for this one. The stations of my (Iron)Cross:

1. Liz is condemned to death by challenging her teammate, Carol, to compete at Ironcross.

2. Liz receives her number 441 and prepares her cross(bike).

3. Liz falls for the first time on the crawl up. (mile 30)

4. Liz meets Carol as Carol passes on the crawl up. (mile 30.1)

5. Simon of Cyrene does not show up to carry Liz's cross(bike).

6. Veronica does not show up to wipe Liz's face with her bandana.

7. Liz falls for the second time as her front tube suddenly explodes at the top of the powerline crawl up. (mile 31)

8. Liz meets JB who sacrifices a 700c tube after Liz has discovered the horrifying truth that her spare tube was 650c. JB forgives her cussing sins.

9. Liz falls for the third time as she gets caught by FIVE women at the bottom of the last run up. (mile 55)

10. Liz is stripped of 10th place as they all trot past her and as she sees them catch up with Carol.

11. Liz is crucified by the gap left on the run up by the FIVE racers and Carol. (mile 56)

12. Liz dies in the final spiral of death before the finish line where they all await. (mile 60)

13. Liz removes herself from her cross(bike).

14. Liz congratulates Carol at the finish line. She finished 12th, Liz 15th.


(right, Is it possible my bike bag was sabbotaged as we played volleyball at Ironmaster's Hostel? Is that how the 650c tube got in my bag? Naw. . . the only real devil I have ever found is self.)

--Traditional Stations of the Cross.

--Nice iron rendition of Stations of the Cross.

--Race results.

--Ironmaster's Film Festival Feature (K-Dogg, Director)

Michigan and 757 Bloggers who raced Ironcross:
Danielle, Kevin, Dinsmore, JB, Rob Tripp, Winder

Fixed Fever

Cross Fever ain't the only sickness goin' round. Sally's caught fixed fever after her Nishiki underwent a face lift by Josh. She and Mike had donated the bike to their church auction, and then they put in a bid to get it back. What a creative way to donate!



Quite the beauty. . . . Sally has 48x16 set up.

It got me motivated to get my Diadora back on the road. I remember falling for the fix, but cross riding has had me preoccupied. After Iron Cross next weekend, I am getting back to it. Mine is 42x16.

Check out this video by Wes of the first Critical Mass Norfolk in recent memory. There will be another one Friday, Oct 26. Big day for the fixed in town.

Wheew Weekend

Saturday started out with a 3 hour early morning drive to Afton Mountain

Where Susan, Carol and I rode the Parkway and Love Gap ascent (55 miles)

And where the queen of the mountains had time on her hands waiting for us to return.

Got up Sunday promising to take it easy on bike paths with Mike and Sally

But found myself at Va Beach's new criterium course at the Sportsplex doing a crit with cross knobbies

And catching up with high school classmate, Sheri, who was also racing. Left there and rode to Virginia Beach's true Town Center, Boneshakers, located on the bike path network midway between First Landing Park and VB Criterium Course

Where I compared cyclist bandanas to biker bandanas.