Wood Chips and Step Throughs

I guess my cross season started because I raced again on Saturday.
But I must say, this is the least prepared I've been for a season yet. Not that I'm ever really prepared in the way most racers are prepared.

But, most years I've at least been running regularly and doing some running intervals and riding a bit more regularly and taking a spin class here and there and even doing some weight work.
But not this year.
This year, I've been commuting a little and riding a little and I just started running once a week a few weeks ago, if you don't count running up the stairs at BART to catch the last bike accessible train as running.
And tomorrow I'll start taking that spin class down at the Y during lunch.

Last night I dreamt that I was doing that triceps curl weight lifting exercise over and over and over again.
And so here I am at 6am on Monday morning thinking about it and deciding to try and get a little more serious. Today at lunch, I'm doing a run with some intervals in it.
Yep, I'm starting today.
I've been looking forward to cross season for months, but really, doing nothing but thinking about it. I had an odd epiphany at the race on Saturday. As I was riding over to registration I saw someone warming up on a trainer, and I thought - what the hell are they doing? And then I remembered warming up.
Oh yeah, people warm up to race.

So I registered and pre-rode the course once. And then it was time for our race to start.
And then we raced.
During the second lap, my teammate Thomas, rode behind me and asked how I was doing and if I liked the course and chatted about how his wife and his kids would start coming with him to races soon. And some other stuff.

And I could only muster a uh huh every so often.
Because I was racing you know.
And then he pulled ahead and passed me and I'm not sure he ever realized I was in the middle of my race and all.

But the thing I do have dialed in, after 2 seasons of racing cross, is my mounts and dismounts and barrier running and log hopping and pedal positions and step through and bike handling and sand riding and wood chip riding and sharp turning and dry heaving.