Monster Cross Race

Today was Twin's first (I think) Cyclocross bike race. Our friend Jerrod Kuerth organized it. It was held at Dierke's Lake. A cyclocross race usually involves a cyclocross bike, sort of a road bike with fatter tires. Most people around here don't have them, a lot of us rode our mtn. bikes. Even if I owned a cross bike I wouldn't have ridden it around Dierke's Lake!

Darren and a few friends have spent some serious time working on the trail. They have cleared sagebrush, moved rocks, opened up narrow areas in an effort to make the trail more user friendly. People walking and hiking around the lake have been thrilled. The trail has needed some work for a while now.

The race was free, Jerrod was just feeling out the interest for something like this. It was a better than expected turn out on this freezing cold day!

I run around Dierke's, I swim in Dierke's, but have never had a desire to ride/carry a bike around it! There are 127 stairs! The newspaper was taking pictures first step on the first set of stairs is about waist high to me! The newspaper was there on the second lap. I thought, you've got to be kidding me, take pictures of my TRYING to get up this thing with my bike? Not very graceful I will tell you that! The race went clockwise around the lake. I did the 30 min course, where we did 2 laps. Darren did the hour course with 4 laps.

Darren and Terry on their twinner bikes. So special.

Darren and I both rode the same bike. I warmed it up for him. The bike and I were so muddy when I finished that everyone asked me if I had crashed! NO! Hello people, it just took my whole body to carry that bike over 1/3 of the course! Hence they called it a MONSTER cross race.

Darren spent some time with me on Thursday riding the course. I tried three different bikes, always sure that the next one would be easier to carry! Darren showed me what side of the bike to get off and when, where to grab on the bike, etc. I went over my handle bars once and have a plethora of bruises all over my legs from hoisting the bike every which way to be able to carry it. After today the biggest bruise is on my right shoulder, where I learned the rest the seat of the bike for the carry.

Darren can ride the loop in under 12 min. He is a little insane, riding some of the stairs. But what do you expect from Darren. Nothing less than insanity.





Darren did awesome staying up with those young Ketchum guys! He crashed twice! The course got pretty muddy after the first lap of my race. Even the stairs were getting covered. Since only 3 women entered the 30 min. course (1 woman in the hour race, go girl whoever you are!) They raced us with the guys. I came in about middle of the pack overall. Darren came in 5th. The first place finisher, Terry's son, Brad, raced in Europe in his teens and is a serious competitor.

This was really fun and I'm so glad I did it, even though I was really nervous! There will be another cross race next month at Rock Creek, and one in January at O'Leary. Neither will be nearly as technical. I'd like to get a hold of a cross bike. I think I'm really liking this new challenge!