Dollar Primes, New Skinsuits, Poor Planning

Friday night. With a heavy pink bag full of racing gear (team kit, embrocation, lipstick etc.) strapped to my back, I ride to the bus terminal. While waiting, I take advantage of the photo booth. The bus takes me to Boston's South Station, I ride to Craig's house, wait hours for everybody to get ready, then carpool with the Cambridge Bike guys to Connecticut--to my teammate Dan's mom's house. She lives only minutes from Saturday's Chainbiter race course.

Saturday. Dollar Primes. Cold wind and rain: it feels like 'cross should! I have fun. Making some mistakes in the first lap puts me way back, but I start passing people, picking them off. Then I slip in a corner and do a superman--mud all over my front. Oh well. The Ghostship guys are handing out dollar primes on the back stretch and I grab one--two, three--as I claw my way back up a few places in the remaining laps. I finish cheerfully in the back.

After recovering with grilled cheese and beer, we cut, sew, serge and embroider with Dan's mom. By Sunday morning, Dan and I have new kits!

Sunday. New Skinsuits. Eager as I am to show off the gold embroidery on my new skinsuit, I nonetheless wake up on the wrong side of the bed: I hate everything. Still, I race, and when I see my friends at the top of the run up holding a giant neon-pink "Go Hannah!" sign at the top of the run up--and I'm passing people--my attitude makes a 180. I love 'cross. I make my strongest finish yet at a UCI race (an unimpressive but satisfying 19th).

Poor Planning. I thought Dan had organized a ride home, but after the last race, I don't see anyone from Providence still around. Uh-oh. Adam Sullivan is my knight in shining armor--uhhh...the guy with a car headed to Rhode Island--who rescues me from having to bike back from North Hampton (or get a ride to Boston and take the train home in the morning). All I want to do is go home and eat some ice cream and sleep in my own bed, and I get to.

Until next weekend,
-H