A few of us got together Sunday to support a couple of our intrepid Crossers. Myself, Allen, Ben, and Justin braved the bad weather to watch Tony and Jeff rip it up in the mud and rain. I got there around 7:30 to set up Casa de NRR and then waited for everyone to show up. We got a nice spot near the start/finish and by the food and beverage area, so at least we didn’t have to go far for sustenance :)  Tony was first up and he raced the 35+ C race. He got off to a good start and was in the top 10 until he was taken out of contention by a flat. The results haven’t been posted yet, so I’m not sure where he ended up, but I’m guessing mid pack somewhere. It’s kind of hard to tell after a couple of laps ’cause they’re spread out all over the place…..  Next up was Jeff. He moved up to the 35+ B’s, so he had a bad starting position. He still battled it out and made a great showing of it.

Justin, Ben, and I (Tony was wandering around somewhere too, but we lost him) hung around to watch the SSXCWC. I’ve never seen this race before and it was a real party. Hanging on the Thunderdome while the racers came through was just surreal. There was someone twirling fire pots, a bag piper, the drum corp up by the main spectator run up, a band belting out vintage Black Sabboth, and even a stripper bus that was used as a short cut. The rider needed to present a dollar tip to the ‘dancer’ inside to run through the bus and cut out a chuck of the course…. We missed that one as it was strategically place on the far back side…..  We all packed up and took off around 5. It was nice to get home and warm up after being out in the cold for the day.  I think I can speak for all of us in saying that it was a GREAT time!  ( I even have some beer and brats left, bonus…..)

Here’s some Thunderdome action -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4V89AgwX-FQ

The rain may have came & went but the mud was there to stay!Saturday’s race…Saturdays race unknowingly started Friday … or I should say that my Friday festivities played a part as to why I showed up late for my race on Saturday …. Good time as any to cat up to Master B’s. I had a good race, started in the middle of the pack & held my own. LOVE my new Vittoria Cross XM Pro 700 x 32 tires!(please forward endorsement check to my PO box)And to top it off … I caught the “White Night” and won a new pair of KEEN shoes! (Please see endorsement note above) If you don’t know about the White Night … come out to a cross race.Sunday’s race …Master C’s I’m back! Today was the costume day, let me be the first to warn you that wearing a button on your NRR gear that reads “Alcohol Monitor” does not qualify as a costume in the eyes of the cross crusade clan. Lesson learned. I actually pulled off a good start and found myself in first place half way thru the third lap … this is when about 8 spectators in orange jumpsuits positioned themselves in the course like the barriers they were portraying and persuaded (threatened) me to dismount and jump over them (punishment for not having a real costume)… I did what was asked of me, happily! Unfortunately I lost the lead and fell into third at this point … I’ll take it, my best finish to date!Next race … PIR Sunday November 8th