I hesitate to announce, but my 2013 cyclo-cross campaign came to a quick and uneasy end.
(Le Race Face)
The unravelling began around Mid-November after a series of very strong races from Infirmary 1&2, UCI 3 and Smith Farms CX. I got sick, took week off the bike and tried to race at Alum Creek. After crashing quite hard and then rolling a tubular, I threw in the proverbial towel. Later that evening I spent 5 hours in the ER after what became known as the “COGOtality”. Seven stitches later and zero hours on the bike outside a race, I decided to skip my goal for the 2013 season – the Ohio State championships of cyclo-cross in Broadview Heights.
(Le Podium Face)
Fortunately, that was a great idea. The race was only about a week after the COGOtality and my skin was still healing. The course, I’ve heard from numerous reports, was icy and rutted and just about everyone went down once. Thankfully I stuck around Columbus and partied hearty all weekend.
(Le COGOtality)
The following week, Thanksgiving week, I again partied hearty. Very few hours on the bike and one too many whiskeys, I was in no way prepared for PostgivingCX. I dusted off the old single speed and gave it a go despite staying out till the wee hours of the morning with my friends. It was a complete disaster. In the end I decided that if I can’t podium in a local single speed race, what’s the point of racing?
The second annual PostgivingCX party was a tad different than the year before. Instead of food, we just drank. I had been busy setting up and tearing down the race and was in no way prepared to cook, bake and serve food to my friends. In turn, we stayed up and listened to music and enjoyed a few rounds of goods beers and good Knob Creeks.
Unknowing to all my friends, I had a plan. After the disastrous week of drinking and not riding, my body felt like a pile of shit. I had a plan –
- Ride the next few days out
- Party hard
- Then get to work
As it stands, I am in the “get to work” phase. “Get to work” you may ask? Yes, “get to work”. While the temperature is only going to be getting cooler, I plan on putting in some good hours in the next 14 days. When the temperatures drop below 30°F I can last about 2/2.5 hours outside. Hopefully, over the next 14 days I can get anywhere from 28-30 hours in and that should be a nice base for my next set of goals, which begin in early January.
Tony, Alex and myself got to work by slamming some super sweet and super secret dirt roads. Getting out, despite a nearly debilitating hangover, was amazing. I climbed okay for being hungover, but really I just had a great time finally getting out to ride. The roads were great and the dudebrolyfe-ing was greater. These dudes are some good dudes and I hope to retain some serious friendship for along time to come.
(Le ShredZone 720)
Outside of that? Yea, well, no drinking. At least not for 14 days. After that I’ll see where I stand.
Anything else? You may remember Ian Broadhead, former contributor to this blog while it was momentarily renamed “The VeloBros Standard”. Well, we’re embarking on a new journey in local blogsmanship. We will be co-managing a new blog called “Jerks in Tall Socks”. Expect more than just stories of bicycle racing and riding. Expect more than analyzations of mediocrity and amateurism with in our local cycling scene. We’re not necessarily jerks, but we do wear and believe that tall socks are the one and only way to approach any given ride or race or life journey. Take it for what it is.
Check it out here – jerksintallsocks.wordpress.com
It’s been nice world, see you next time.
Spencer
VELOSPENCE 