Through the Sun, the Sleet and the Hail

Through the sun, the sleet and the hail we rode today.

I awoke early this morning to prepare for BBC's first ride of the year. Today we rode a nice flat ride. We took off at a nice easy pace, but of course among testosterone ridden boys that never lasts.
The pace picked up a bit, but for the most part the group stayed together. After a playful sprint to the store we munched on some fig bars before taking off again and starting home.
Then it started hailing. Hail is ever so painful when riding it. After riding in the hail, after we had reached the final and easiest section of the ride, the sun, rather ironically, came out from it's hiding spot among the clouds.

My first cross race of the season,

And it also happens to be one of the last... I awoke on this cold, cold day upon the eighth hour of the morning. I finished with last minute preparations for the coming day. Then I awaited the arrival of my mother's kind friend David whom we were car pooling with. Following his arrival we promptly packed the car, and set out for our distant destination of Eugene, Oregon. We arrived at said destination, our coffee well since consumed, we helped ourselves to the coffee provided by the thoughtful race promoters. I then rode part of the course, but I did not feel the need to endeavor riding a whole lap.
I had a wonderful warm up, sitting in David's car drinking cocoa and sketching the human hand. David was racing as my mother and I were warming up, we opened the car door to cheer for him, then promptly shut it again, as to not let out the invaluable heat. It then came time for me to mount my trusty aluminum stead, it's shiny blue and silver frame neglected for nearly a year. I learned at the start line that only one woman had warmed up. We started our race after a minor mishap in the back of the group. I started out strong. All the women started together and I maintained a position in the top five for a quarter of a lap. I even managed to keep that position through the enormously high barriers.
Only when I had to cross the river did I lose my position. I then rode the rest of my three laps of ludicrously high barriers, quick paced single track, running my bike up wooden stairs and splashing through the river-interrupted only by a flat tire- alone. I finished first, beating out my thoughest opponents, me, myself, and I.

I Revel in my Sweat

I really do. There is nothing more satisfying than the feeling of a warm bead of sweat dripping down your face, or the faint plunk it makes as it falls off your face onto your top tube. The pain is wonderful, it hurts, and yet it feels so good. And what is this torture that gives me so pleasure?

Winter training.