Time is tight here so a here is a quick run-down of the course:
– hills
– climbing
– off-cambers
– bumpy grass

This basically sums up the race course. It is definitely challenging. It is a “typical” North American cyclo-cross course – take one element and try to maximize it. In this case the hill. The hill is steep and throw in some off-camber twists and turns and you’ve got a demanding section. There is a steep climb on an uneven surface and another punchy little climb that if you don’t stay left will have you hitting a log.

All in all, it is going to be a good day at the races. I’m hoping for rain tonight. But even if it doesn’t rain, by the time I race at 2:30, the course will be pretty chewed up. Marc races at 10:00, so he’ll get a pretty fresh course. Probably we’ll actually end up racing on very different courses.

Many thanks to Marc for helping me out today. Also big shout out to Karl for taking me around for a lap and really helping me out. Karl showed me the lines on the hill and helped me find the correct lines on the other twists and turns. Riding with these two guys really helps to boost my confidence. I just need to remember to not try to take everything tight. The shorter line is not always the faster line!

Alright, well Marc is at the manager’s meeting. Hopefully it will end quickly and then we’re off to get some food. My parents are here now so we’ll have a relaxing night before a fun day at the races. Marc is off at 10 and I’m off at 2:30. I’ll try to do an update tomorrow night.

Thanks for the emails, messages, and comments on Facebook. Greatly appreciated.

Keep pedaling. Look up. Go faster. Have fun.