UFFDA! Tough Cyclocross Weekend

This weekend was both extremely tiring and fun. For the third time we promoted a collegiate cyclocross race in the open grass and hills behind Purdue's Student Rec Center. We had a great turnout compared to previous years with almost 40 riders. Conditions were pretty epic with lots of rain last week making for some slick off camber downhills and corners. I really enjoy making cyclocross courses. it is pretty cool that stakes and caution tape can turn an ordinary grass field and a few sledding hills into a sweet and super technically challenging race course. Friday afternoon we made record time by setting up the whole course in just over 2 hours. I am really thankful that the Purdue cycling club has lots of hardworking and dedicated members to help make these races happen. Saturday afternoon rolled around and it was time to race. I forgot how hard cyclocross was especially with lots of fast guys to race with. I got a good start but quickly blew up as usually happens to me because my asthma usually kicks me in the face when I try to maintain any sort of high paced steady state effort. I recovered though and had a good battle with Kip. I placed 5th and rode our brand new volley ball court sand pit once. Saturday evening we made a back yard fire and enjoyed a few beverages and some smores! Sunday Andrew Treumper and I drove to chicago at 7am to help with a chicago cyclocross cup race that was gonna add collegiate categories for the races. It was a nice course and it was freezing cold. Again my asthma was bothering my and I blew up pretty bad in the last 15 minutes of the race and got passed by a bunch of people. I finished 3rd in the collegiate though which was pretty good. I think I need to start riding and running so that I can get in a little bit better shape for the last cross race of the year that i am doing at Montrose harbor in Chicago. People always ask me why I don't train more for cyclocross and I have a pretty simple answer. I don't focus on it because ever since moving to indiana I have really bad asthma and cant do hard efforts for very long. i have tried tons of asthma medicines and they just don't seem to help so I have pretty much given up on being really good at cross unless I move somewhere that i don't have asthma anymore. I still like cross but it is alway frustrating to race and feel restricted because you can't get the air out of your lungs. Sorry for the ranting.