We almost skipped this race, due to Ian giving his a mug a good ringing with a mountain bike crash on Friday afternoon - complete with a slightly cracked and dented helmet - and mild concussion symptoms. He had a slight headache on Saturday, check with on-call Doc gave the okay to race, if the headache was gone by Sunday. Besides the slight headache, he showed no other symptoms.
Woke up Sunday feeling fine. Tough parent call on this one. Once Ian starts a race series, he really wants to complete 'em all for the most amount of overall points. I gotta commend him on that. I figured a 30 minute 'cross race would be okay. Since his race wasn't until 12:10 PM, we slept in and skipped my race at 9:30 AM, leaving the final decision until late that morning. So after a quick car load session, away we went.
Oh yeah, we also picked him up a new helmet on Saturday - now in official team mandated white. He's now officially official like with his team kit, looking all PRO. Pretty cool.
As per my usual alleged and predictable style, some pics and comments about the day...
Ian rocking the full team kit and riding the 'hoods like a mini pro. I watched him pick up speed as the laps increased. Fun to watch. In the end, finished 9th out of 12 kids in the Junior Boys 13-14 class...
Ian rocking the full team kit and riding the 'hoods like a mini pro. I watched him pick up speed as the laps increased. Fun to watch. In the end, finished 9th out of 12 kids in the Junior Boys 13-14 class...It was kind of confusing though, since he pulled off thinking his race was done. I found him sitting under his team tent, while the announcers were congratulating people as they crossed the line. Not sure, he jumped on his bike and crossed the line again. He also remembered finishing a few seconds behind a Rad Racing kid he'd been battling, yet the results show Ian almost two minutes behind him. Seems a little wacky.
Not exactly sure what went down. In any case, after what happened on Friday, he'll gladly take the 9th place series points. Ian was sitting in 5th overall for the series going into this event. Curious to see where he falls after this race.
View from the team area. That's Mount Si looming in the background. Ian's JL Velo team also broke out the grill for this race. Salmon, hamburgers, and dogs for all. Very nice. The 'cross scene rocks.
How green it is. I let Ian play with the camera for awhile. He gets credit for this shot.
Singlespeed types blur the fashion rules and camera pixels. Another Ian shot. Nice!
Course was basically flat with a just a few short hills. Lots of bumpy grass sections.
The later races were treated to a little rain. This dude doesn't seem to mind.
Father 'N' Son chat session. Racing isn't just about going fast on bikes. Teammates Chris and son Matt share some quality time. To me, this pic says it all.
There's always a line here...
Lots of fields to warm up before your race. Not visible: The few million piles of pooh hidden in the grass. Appeared to be deer, Yeti, and who knows what the hell else. More pooh per acre then you could shake a stick at. High pressure hose action required on tires and shoes later...
Quite possibly the world's most scenic parking lot. No?
Ian, center stage, lines up with a pile of junior racers. Just look at all those young faces. Fantastic.
Gaggle of juniors cranking the barrier section. Gotta love that.
Caleb, our 8 year old neighbor, giving the Junior Boys 10-12 class a go. I think he dug it, now bugging his dad for a real 'cross bike. The obsession begins...
Ian rounds a corner, while Mount Si keeps watch from behind.
Go Ian go! Super scenic 'cross course. Agree?
Teammate Jarrett grabbed 1st place in Junior Boys 13-14, once again. This kid is wicked fast. On top of that, super friendly nice kid. His parents help run the JL Velo Junior Development Team. JDT for short. They pull the trailer and set up camp at most events, plus his dad provides technical support, as well as working for Redline bicycles. Nice folks.With that, I'm pulling the plug on this fluffy post. I was a little concerned letting Ian race, but in the end; said he had fun and scored series points. It all worked out just dandy - as they say in Mayberry.
Well, at least I think they say "Dandy" in Mayberry. Good chance of it anyway....