All I Need is a Banana and a Dog to Walk

Lately at cross races I'll often see Lulu (the 8 year old) walking or running by with a dog on a leash. She seems to have taken on the responsibility of being the official cyclocross dog walker.
To be at the start your race on the start line, and see your kid running by with one dog and by the end of your race, look up to see her walking along with some other dog ...
This past weekend I raced both days. And watched half of the four soccer games in Sam's (the 10 year old) end of the soccer season, soccer tournament.
Luckily, Saturday's race was at night. So we traveled to both games on Saturday and then left after the second game to meet Morgan at the race Saturday afternoon. And left Sam with a friend for the night.
So, back to me.

I don't really get into the race report type descriptions. But, Saturday's course was fun - so maybe I'll try.
Let's see, we raced in the dark. The laps were short and fast and fun. I held back at the start - and cruised along, using the Jenny Feix strategy of slowly working my way past women as they blew their wads on the first few laps.

I ran past a few crashes on the little hills - as some tried to ride them, bunched up, and ended up on their backs. I think I even saw Jenny sliding down on top of Rita or something as I was running past and waving goodbye.

Are you ok ladies? I said as I skipped around them.
And then a few laps later, there was a dog in the middle of the course, at the start/finish, with a man trying to drag him off. And the dog wouldn't budge. And then he pulled himself out of his collar. And started coming towards me, as I was coming at him full bore on the asphalt. And the man was yelling at the dog and people were yelling at me and I thought, oh no, this might be the end of my race.
And then I slowed down and went around him. And no one passed me.
But then, as usual, I blew my wad a bit too much in the excitement and fizzled at the end. I even thought for a minute as I was finishing, hmm, maybe I SHOULD try training for cyclocross. But then the thought slipped my mind as someone complimented me on my socks.

We got home about midnight, with an extra kid, and as we were unpacking the truck - I, at the same time, repacked the audi for the morning.
And then bright and early Sunday, I headed off with two little girls and Mel down to Monterey.

And we raced. And godamn, it was hot as hell down there. Like 80 degree in the middle of November hot. Which is more like 95 degrees in June hot. Because in November you don't expect heat like that, so your body is really only primed for 60 degrees or something.
So the single parent, dual kid, race day was an experiment for me. I've watched others do it pretty well. So I figured, two little girls would be good practice. Practice for the two siblings who tend to tease and pick on each other - which I'll be attempting next weekend.
And I also knew, once I got to the race, Allie's mom would be there, maybe.
It went fine. Except for the constant, whining about the heat and how there was nothing to do and how this race course sucked and how the trees sucked and how they were bored because I wouldn't let them wander off into the hidden mine fields of the old army base and how there was nothing to do and how come I didn't bring better food and how come we didn't bring their bikes and sharkies taste like crap.

When we first got there, we walked for a while to get to the place where I was going to make them hang out and they asked me where the team tent was. And I said, no team tent today. And they said WHAT? NO TEAM TENT? What kind of race IS this anyway? Why didn't you bring the team tent? Where's the BBQ? Where's all the FOOD?
Oh, if life were that easy - where I COULD actually bring the 80lb gigantic black team tent and drag it the 1/2 mile from the parking area, with all my stuff and my spare wheels and water, to the hang out area. And then set up the bbq and the ice chest and then go race.
After I got them situated into climbing some trees and playing with my camera, I went to pre-ride the course. And when I got back Lulu had to go pee.
And the bathrooms were way the fuck on the other side of the mountain. So I told her to go in the bushes.

Nope, she said. There's a bug that's oozing stuff and some guy just told us that there's a mine field out there and not to play out there.
Yeah, said Allie. That bug is weird. It's oozing everywhere.
Ok, I said. Pee in your pants then. And I left to go pee in the bushes.
Later, I heard there was a mini meltdown and some crying from Allie. And after wards she told her mom that all she really needed was a banana and a dog to walk.