A Visit and Some NECX

Got a visit by a Denver friend, Vera, today. Nice how the visit corresponded well with a 2-hour bike ride and her sister getting to visit a friend who's from here.

The leaves are nearly at their peak right now so it was a good time for her to come out. I was interested in seeing what she found cool about the area - many of the things that I thought were cool when I first got here, but have not become accustomed to (old, big houses, landscapes, historic sites). She was remarking on a house and it happened to be the Orchard House (where Louisa May Alcott wrote Little Women, it's like that around here, there's a lot of history and interesting stories surrounding many things. People from here are tired of it all (not all of them, but seems to be what I'm finding), but those of us from somewhere else are fascinated by being in a storybook-like place.

After riding and parting, I got my CX bike ready to go and, for the first time since I got the road bike, left it behind in lieu of the Honey. I've been missing the Honey and the many cool rides I did on it last fall/winter so today was an excuse to at least get on it for a few minutes.

The pro CX race in Providence today is a big deal race, 2nd only to Gloucester here. I'm judging from what I've heard from cross racers on this one. I hadn't seen a CX race in New England yet, I've only ever spectated/raced CX races in dusty Denver and Boulder.

Today's weather was *perfect* for a proper New England CX day; it was the mother of all muddy races. Temps were cool, it rained almost the whole time (it started raining the moment I pulled into the parking lot 15 minutes before the women's Pro race began).

The mud.

The course. It was a really, really cool course & a really beautiful park. I wish I'd gotten a chance to ride the course when it wasn't slick-as-ice mud. I pre-rode a little, though made the mistake of starting at the most difficult part (off-camber & muddy, a huge section).

Honey bike happy as a honey bike can be. Dirt and grass on its tires without being given a mud bath.

It was great to be out there, I particularly enjoy spectating sports I don't like to play. Got to see former teammate Kate P from Boulder, many people I know from riding & the RSC,  & Andrea, RSC's former mechanic, who had a fantastic race--it was about time I saw her race after talking about it for two seasons. Next year: Gloucester.

I had no reason to go home so I stopped to do a little shopping, reading and eating. Traveling for bike stuff two weekends in a row. Squeezing it in before the bad weather hits.