'Cross season...

Feels like the 2010 Cheq 40 was already ages ago when it's only been two weeks. As the racing season wound into the late summer months more & more of my focus was on that race & not beyond. Fortunately, for once, things panned out well in that race with a top 50 finish & didn't feel the compulsion to get back to racing.... however sorta leaves a person with that limbo feeling of what do I do next?

Coming into the season my focus had been to improve on the races with predominant amounts of singletrack, but to really perform well at the biggies (Ore to Shore & Cheq 40) and then tune into a really strong cyclocross season. The cyclo-cross however became less & less of a focus over the season as travel & training commitments began to take their toll. So I took a well deserved week off after the Chequamegon 40 to unwind and let the motivation fall where it would. By Saturday, I was back to mulling back & forth about what to do about racing again.... ugh, so much for the mental break.

In the fall of '09 I noticed a cyclo-cross series going on in the upper pennisula of Michigan, UPCROSS that really caught my attention. The Wisconsin series takes place way to far south for travel purposes to regularly participate in & I'd already done the MN/Twin Cities 'cross races in past years with so-so interest & enjoyment. The UPCROSS series seemed to have decent participation, some good competitive racers & a nice format. I got a terrible itch for doing it but timing & circumstance never panned out hence it started out as one of my 2010 goals.

When Saturday rolled around I really wondered if I should bother with it. I should be happy & content with the Cheq 40 results, rest up & focus on other things this fall....however when you've got as competitive streak as I do running through the veins saying no to any race is difficult.

So with without a 'cross bike & only my Gary Fisher Superfly with some semi-skinnies -- off to race #1 of UPCross I headed last Sunday..... race report to come shortly.