Cross Crusade-Flying M Ranch

its been a while since i last posted. i'll try to get everyone up to speed on the week that was. i worked last tuesday-thursday, and i think i only ran 2 calls the entire 72hrs. so that was nice. friday when i got home, the power was out, and didn't come back until 4p.m. and the cable was out until saturday morning. some dumb-ass hit a pole in his car and knocked out power to the entire town. saturday morning mary, sampson, and i left for portland (the weather was perfect in crescent city, seems its always nice when we're gone and shitty when we're here.) it had been raining on and off all day saturday in portland, so the race was going to be muddy.
sunday morning came and it was really cold, but dry. the race venue was a hunting/horseback riding resort way in the boonies west of portland. the course was mostly singletrack with a short high-speed pavement section. there was only one set of barriers right before the finish line, with another obsticle, a coffin, out on the course. there were two very long and very muddy run-ups each lap also. i thought this kind of technical single-track racing would suit my strenghts better then the wide-open fast races, but i was mistaken. i never really got in a rhythm. again i had a horrible starting position (they really need call-ups for cat C's (kidding)) and i passed about 50 dudes on the first lap. the run-ups on the first lap were rediculous. there were guys everywhere and it was impossible to pass anyone. while the race leaders were able to run up the run-ups, i was stuck behind 50 guys walking up the hill. in the end i ended up 7th, which was a good placing, but i didn't feel like i put in a 100% effort. i don't know if i was limited by the muddy, technical course, or what. i think if i could start on the front row of the grid that i'd compete for the win. next time i'll make sure i get to the start plenty early and we'll see what happens. i'll post some blurry pics soon.
we stayed after and watched the men's A race. there was an "aid station" on the course that consisted of a keg and 50 drunk spectators. the drunk dudes would offer beer to the racers. there was a guy that would sick his dog on riders he knew. it was pretty rowdy. since it was halloween, there were guys racing in costumes. one guy was dressed as a hockey player, and on the run-ups he could check the other racers, another guy was dressed as pedro from napoleon dynamite (he enjoyed the beer.) anyways, it was a pretty fun weekend. i think mary caught the cyclocross bug and now she wants to give it a try.
-brooks