DFL > DNF: 2011 NCCX

So, it should be said that I didn't, originally, plan on racing in Charlotte, but the idea started to emerge the previous Wednesday when a) the wonderful one I married asked, "Are you still planning on racing in Charlotte this weekend?" b) the realization that the weather would be so swell as to break my 'No November CX' rule and c) my son seemed up for it. Did I mention that my wife asked me if I was racing?

Anyway, a plan started coming together quickly.

The advantage to this season's NCCX races is that there is a new division called "CX4 Masters," which is for slow people who are also old. The big win is that it races at 11am, the same time the juniors race, which means that both Tha Kuhnull & Joooonyuh would be racing at the same time. Diabolicalness was bound to ensue!

We got to Veteran's Park in downtown Charlotte with a little more than an hour before we were to start. We walked the course, got our numbers and started to get kitted up. Now, our first obstacle presented itself -- it was about 15 degrees cooler than predicted. Tha Kuhnull, a rather stout man in both stature and presence, was immune to the variation, but young Joooonyuh was shivering like a leaf in the wind. Neither of us had leg warmers, but ever-resourceful, the Kuhnull found a last minute solution and Joooonyuh kitted his legs with his Daddy's ahm-wahmahs. It was, truly, a sight to behold.

It should be also noted that Tha Kuhnull had traded his galavanting clothes for a new kit he was proud to share. I would be remiss if I didn't admit I looked resplendent in my new Smart Stop/Mock Orange Bikes racing jersey and cap. Downright handsome, if not necessarily genteel.

Riding around, we decided that there were three sets of obstacles on the course that would pose the greatest flustrations: 1) a near-vertical climb called 'The Wall' 2) twin sister sand traps that were back-to-back and 3) a myriad of off-camber areas. It would require a delicate touch as well as skill to navigate these perils unscathed.

Before the race... All smiles!

Realizing this, Joooonyuh took upon himself the notion to attempt o push his bike up The Wall. This was valuable and painful all at once, for the young maverick could only go about half way up the climb pushing that bicycle that is half his size in both height and weight. This traumatized the boy and he felt he was in over his head. That's about when the call to race was made...

A despondent Joooonyuh, in orange shorts, at the very back of the group.

By the time we made it to the start line, Joooonyuh was ashen-faced and holding back tears, for that wall was about 200 yards from the start line. Not so good. He couldn't shake the thought that he'd not get up that wall at all. Understand, very few of the riders at 11a were riding the wall, so pushing was the norm. But pushing such a heavy horse looked to be quite an order. That's when he saw the other handful of 10-14 year old Juniors racing. Unlike our back-of-the-pack look, these boys looked like racers -- riding $1000 CX-specific bikes, sporting team uniforms and cycling glasses. He dubbed them "The Rich Boys."

'The Rich Boys'

When things looked their worst, Bob came up. Bob had missed his turn and driven one state too far before he turned back to joined us, with only a minute or two until race time. He was in a rush to toss his bags, down some goo, and pin his numbers. He was such a flurry of activity, that we forgot ourselves for a moment.