Yesterday’s Pain on the Peak cyclocross race treated me well with a first place finish in the senior men’s B category. The course had a fair amount of climbing and technical descending which catered to my mountain biking background. When I finished the race I had no idea what place I had received because there were riders all over the course. Needless to say it was a pleasant surprise to read the final results.During the race a found myself making a mental list of things to remember for the next cyclocross race. 1. Wear full fingered gloves. (holding onto the break hoods cut up my fingers)2. Begin smoking cigarettes in order to train the lungs to except the clouds of dust found on a dry course.3. Don’t trust Mapquest directions to a race if they suggest you drive through Beaverton. Beaverton seems to have the worse traffic around.4. Bring cash for the beer garden.5. Ignore the nasty sounds coming from a drive train caked in dirt. Nothing can be done about it.6. Start doing more sit-ups at home. (I felt at though my internal organs were going to vibrate out of my body). A season of road racing has left me weak from the waste up.Thank you to Oregon Velo and  Health Performance Chiropractors for the free photos!-David Monnig

North River Racing was well represnted this year at the State Championship Hillclimb on Mt Hood. I’ve never understood why someone would want to race uphill for around 30 minutes, but hey we all know that cyclist are masochists. Representing NRR for the Juniors was our multiple state champion Colby. Colby has won every state championship he has entered this year and after checking the results…CONGRATULATIONS TO COLBY FOR SWEEPING THEM ALL! Watch for this kid as he grows in this sport. At only 14 he has a bright future. Cat 3 David Monnig rocketed to 2nd place. I knew this guy could climb when I first rode with him up Kalama River! He continues to place high in anything he enters. Stephen Fitzgerald wrapped up the 3s with a strong 11th Place. Watch for Stephen in his favorite cycling event…cyclocross! Allen Kraft placed 6th in Master’s 40-44. Allen is a veteran on NRR. Steve Long finished up the racers with an excellent 4th place in Masters 55-59. All these guys have raced all season long.

Congratulations to all of you who blew a lung on Mt Hood. Great effort and fantastic job!