Wow, is the WWW ever hotting up with cyclo-cross talk. Ever web site I visit seems to be consumed with cyclo-cross. I don’t remember seeing such enthusiasm so early and so fervently before. I’ve got to say – I love it. The more people the better. This sport is growing and is getting better every year. It really starts at the grassroots – little kids, juniors and people just out having fun on their bikes. Sometimes those of us traveling all over the place racing and chasing points forget where it started for us. So really if you do one thing this season, try to volunteer at your local ‘cross clinic, host a ‘cross clinic or go out to your local race and cheer on the folks who are out there at the crack of dawn racing. Remember without these hardcore racers doing it for the passion, we really wouldn’t be so fortunate to be racing.

Okay, that is the end of my soapbox. Sorry, just had to get that out. Not sure where it came from. Maybe because I’m kind of getting tired of seeing bike racers moaning about not having sponsorship and having to “scrape” by. This drives me crazy. Really, remember that we “choose” to race our bikes. No one is making us do this. For the most part, we as North Americans have a lot of other options in life. Bike racing is a middle/upper-class sport here in N.A. – so there are options. Like working. Like working part-time and racing full-time. Lots of people do it. There is no “owed” or “entitlement” out there in the world of bike racing. We are not finding a cure for cancer here – we are pedaling our bikes.

Yikes, another rant. Sorry not my intention. But I guess that was building up in me for a while.

So in other news… I went for a run today. Yep, a run. I kind of thought, “ah 15 minutes of running – no problem”. Well, unfortunately that message did not make it to my quads. Yep, they are tight. I’ve stretched. I’ve hydrated. I’ve rolled out. I think I might need to sleep in the almighty Skins tonight. But this running thing will get easier – right? I have to remind myself that back in the day, I was a runner. Heck, I even ran a marathon. Next week my goal is 20 minutes…

Looking forward to ride on my ‘cross bike tomorrow. Planning to hit up my fave training grounds after work for some thrills and spills. Feels like forever since I’ve been out on my ‘cross bike. Fatigue has been the problem. But I think I’ve got that licked now and I’m starting to feel better.

The racing calendar is coming together. Still have a few gaps to fill in and the okay from the master planner before I post it here. But pretty much I’ll be all over New England this fall and then heading over to Belgium in mid-November. Pretty darn good. Pretty darn lucky.

Speaking of lucky, feel free to check out my sponsors and send them some action. Without these fine companies and people, well I don’t know where I’d be. So huge thanks to: Kingsbridge, The Cyclery, Bell Lap Coaching, OGC, and Clif Bar.