Chris Wallace and I reached our destination in Louisville after a long 8 hour drive. Upon reaching our hotel we checked in with no problems and moved all of our gear up to our room. After our drive we wanted to get out and spin our legs.
We made our way along the narrow windy roads and eventually ended up at the bluffs surrounding the city. The climb was on one of the coolest roads that I have ever ridden. The climb started out with a long straight away and then the road pitched upwards and we entered a densely forested road. With all the leaves a beautiful shade of yellow it made for an awesome ride. Chris and I made it to the top of the hill after a solid 10 minutes of climbing and we were rewarded with a great view of the surrounding area. The ride was a great end to a long car ride.
After meeting up with the Schmalz's for dinner, Chris and I headed back up to our room and we were both asleep by 9:30 (8:30 our time). The morning of Saturday's race we went down for some breakfast and quickly prepared for the days race. The race course was only a short 10 minute drive from our hotel so we did not have to spend too much more time in the car. I picked up my number for my race and I started getting my tires pumped up, number pinned and my bike set up in the trainer. After a nice long warmup I was ready to race. Because of my late registration in the Cat 2/3 race my starting position was number 82 out of 110 starters. I had my work cut out for me in the race. At the sound of the whistle we all took off down the road and upon reaching the first mud section the real race had started. I was able to do a lot of passing the first two laps of the race and I quickly found myself in the top 10. I was able to maintain my position throughout my race and at the end I finished 8th. I was very happy with that result. Chris and Tom's race began shortly after mine and they both battled the same muddy conditions. After Chris finished up his race and the podium presentation we headed back to our room to grab some food before the elite mens race. Joe Schmalz had another great ride in the UCI Mens Elite race and finished 3rd in the U23 race.
After a muddy day Tom, Joe, Jerry, Chris and I traveled to a laundry mat to get our clothes washed. This was a unique first experience for me. I got to take in the nice scenery of the establishment, which included a scary looking man, and an odd assortment of trees and plants lining the top of some of the washers. How a cacti survives in an environment like that is beyond me.
Sunday was another early morning with the same routine as the previous one. We got to the cross course, got registered for the race, receiving number 79 (three spots closer to the front than the day before) and I again jumped on the trainer for a long warm up. One major difference between the course Sunday and the Course Saturday was the amount of mud we had to ride in. Although we still spent some time in the mud, it wasn't as bad as the previous day. The race started off fast and by the time I reached the mud people had begun falling. I dismounted my bike, stood for about 10 seconds and after the fallen had picked them selves back up, I began running the first portion of mud. I reached the long straight away, remounted, and started my chase towards the front of the race. I made my way into 10th place and on the last lap I was able to catch and pass 9th just before the end. I was again very happy with how I finished with such a large field racing.
Chris, and Tom both had very good races, Chris finishing 3rd for a second day, and Tom finished 5th.
Chris and I headed back to the hotel to load up our bags, and again we were back on the highway. I took over driving just past STL and I had the pleasure of driving 4 hours at night in the rain on I-70. That's a drive I never want to experience again. We made it back to Shawnee around 8:30, unpacked Chris' car and I headed home.
I arrived home safely and I look back at the weekend as one of the best I'll ever have. I hope the legs I had in Louisville will stay with me until nationals.
Thanks for reading,
Alex
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