where do i start?

i might be an old man trying to hold onto old glories. i did the orrville c-cross race sunday. this was my first c-cross in at least 5 years. so i signed up in the b class. the class that i used to race in. my other reasoning was that i've been on the bike a lot this year. of course i brought my single speed. i'm getting ready. signed in. the c class started- as many laps in 30 minutes. we'll here are these people racing through the muck, and no one was cheering them on. what the hell? a couple of claps here and there. so i started cheering for every one that went by. hey! they're out here. they're doing their thing. i'm supporting. for the simple fact that it makes them feel good that somebody is cheering them on. someone they don't know.

i really don't talk to people at these things, for reason i'll get in later. however a guy pulled up in his truck wil a beautiful piece of machinery on the back. a moots psychlo-x. nice.

i pulled up next to the race official. just hanging. here are the start of the reasons...the c class was about over. just one more rider to come in. a teenage boy. couldn't have been more than 14. the race official makes note of this, in an annoying way. i make the statement; at least he's out here riding. what a jerk. just do your job, and take the times.

our race begins. 45 minutes. we take off through a field together towards the first barrier, and run up a hill. i was in it. we get into the single track part in single file. doing good. i'm keeping up. down and around. over some bridges. through some woods. single speed is doing just great. however there's a strange sound coming from my crank/bottom bracket area. over the second barrier. it opens up on a road. i hear clicking. shit. everybody else is shifting. shit again. they all take off. i'm dropped. not even done with the first lap yet. shit. get back into some woods and make my way around a baseball field to the start/finish. 8 minutes for the first lap. i travel on. i come back around to the first barrier. i hear my wife calling my name. shit. she is right next to the barrier. have to look good in front of your wife. i didn't. i tripped over the barrier. bike on my shoulder. left hand hitting the ground. legs flying. shit. gained composure. ran up the hill, and kept on trucking. i go over the second bridge. and i hear someone coming. yes, i'm in last. so that means i'm getting lapped. this guy is good. flawless form. the only thing moving going up a little hill was his legs. no upper body movement. solid. this is only the second lap. on the third lap i get lapped by others. i start hearing. holy crap, he's on a single speed. go, single speed. that makes me feel good. they know what i'm doing. i'm riding through this crap on a single speed. i get through my third lap to get one more in. good. i'm hurting. my legs were stiff. i noticed that they guy out on the course that was taking pictures for the event didn't even get one of me. not that i want to be noticed, but the fact that i suck means that you can't acknowledge me? everyone that passed me were really nice about it. sometimes they're jerks. so the riders were nice. but as my wife had her ear open, there were a lot of jerks. i noticed the a class getting ready. some of these idots are too serious. we are at a park in orrville ohio. there was a guy on a trainer. what the hell?

dear "racers"
you are not a pro. you are not racing in belgium (where the pro's race c-cross). you suck. not as much as i do, but you still suck. why take it so seriously? there is no need to be an arrogant bastard (unless you're drinking one). i ask a question: why did you ride a bike to begin with? did it have nothing to do with fun? i know that's why i ride. first and foremost. if you don't ride to have fun, then you must want to compete. great you bet me. some guy from cleveland. i'm proud of you. being pro or on a "team" is more than just getting a discount from a shop. once that shop can't afford to keep the team, then what do you do. you're nothing but a glorified employee that doesn't work there. nice. i would have to say that you failed in your dream to compete. to be a "pro." guess what? you suck.

i'm not sure if my wife will go with me to another one for a while. which is fine. after the race i was talking to a girl that got a pic of me sucking. she's going to bring it next week. oh yeah, i'm going back. a girl that was racing in the first race, and she said "thanks" to me for cheering her on. hey, you're out there riding. it's the least that i could do. you ride. i give support. that's the problem. no one gives support to others. try it sometime. give support.

you ride, you've got my support...