RecumBum

I know very little about cyclocross, but with the National Cyclocross Championships taking place in Kansas City, KS this weekend, I figured this was a good chance to learn. I arrived at Wyandotte County Park a little after 1pm, and found the the Masters Women’s 40+ race already in progress. I stayed through that, and watched the Masters Women’s 30-39 race as well.

The course wound through the park, snaking up and over hills, along steep embankments, across a creek, over a set of railroad-tie stairs, and across some short barriers. While I was there, the temperature was just above freezing, and the course was a gloriously sloppy mess, with the majority of the 1.91-mile route consisting of various consistencies of soupy mud. I saw a lot of slipping and sliding, some corner wipe-outs, and a few spectacular crashes. Between the riding, running, falling, and general squishiness of the course, the riders were soon filthy with grime.

Spectators could watch from anywhere along the course, but you had to choose with care, or risk getting splashed with mud or bowled over by someone wiping out on a tight corner. Most of the course was marked off with plastic ribbon and fiberglass posts, but some of it was bounded by sturdier steel fencing.

Watching cyclocross was an interesting experience, and much different than the blink-and-it’s-gone nature of a road race. Is it something I’d like to try? To be honest, I’m kind of tempted. Not that being cold, wet, dirty, and exhausted sounds like all that much fun, but I can see the attraction. It seems like one of those things that, while you’re going through it, you’re questioning your sanity, but looking back, you can’t wait to try it again.

Here are some pics of the cold, muddy fun, and some dirty, dirty women: