Bubba #2: Dawn of the Bubba

6/365: You've heard of a "bed in a bag"? This is a cx race in a van. Stakes, caution tape, cones, barriers, pop up tents, even a BBQ grill--all loaded into the Big Shark van. Van tetris according to Mike Weiss.

Sunday morning brought another trip to Buder Park for the second race. The course was basically the same, with the addition of a steep paved section and a few more turns added. We took 25 women to the line, 10 in the Women's A.

We got the instructions from Buddy who was sure to mention the correct way to use the pit and then we were off. I was quickly passed by all the Women's A group and several B ladies. My goal for the day was to be strong and do what I could do. I stayed upright through the race (a big accomplishment for me) and made some good progress on my remounts. All of them were in motion. I had a few missteps on the barriers, but overall did ok. As sick as it sounds, the hill was my favorite part of the course. Climbing with a sub compact crank, even with soft tires, is kinda fun! My other accomplishment was riding the final two laps in the big ring, except for the climb. I've never done that in a cx race. I ended up ninth on the day. Not a stellar finish, but a complete race.

After everything was over, I did my Team Rev race clean up duty. Steph and I, along with Chris and Carrie, helped to take down what seemed like miles of caution tape and hundreds of wooden stakes. After packing up the registration area, the packing of the van began. I was thoroughly amazed at the entire process. All of the race supplies somehow were maneuvered into the van, with room still remaining for Mike and SweetPea. It was an interesting way to end the day!