Season's End

OVCX wraps up this weekend, and with Nationals next week, the end is in sight for 2009 cyclocross. I seem to be having the same withdrawal symptoms as last year, as well as the same bitter sweet feelings. While I do enjoy cyclocross and would love for more to the season, my body is telling me it is time to stop.

Before cyclocross for me there was dead air between about September and March, there are no real road races in that time frame. Cyclocross has filled a gap and keeps the brain moving forward through the end of the year, delivering me almost to January without the unpleasant lack of motivation that used to be experienced in that same time frame. By January one can see the horizon of road racing coming in March and realize that those races are won in January, before the holidays plant themselves firmly around one's mid-section.

This year the bitter extends itself further into my inner psyche. The last cross races means the end of the weekly planned time with Mackenzie and to a lesser degree Madeleine. In the beginning of the season it was weird to rotate my schedule to a different tune and get my own training in, but the last half of the season I really started to enjoy it. I already miss the days at Kingswood where it would be dark, but both the girls would come to me and say they wanted to keep riding despite not being able to see.

My hope for the winter/spring is no longer that I stay in shape enough to do spring races, but instead that my daughter(s) continues the interest in the sport. Sure, it it is very convenient that I like the same sport, but her ability is way better than mine. Her technical handling is already better than mine and with some power development she would be hard to handle.

Even if she shows no more interest in the sport after this season, I will always remember the fall of 2009. The trip to Louisville, the many, many nights spent at Kingswood, the driving to and fro the different venues, and after next week, Nationals and Bend, Oregon. The early forced conversations about technique and equipment that turned later to questions from her on how to get better.

Wishing next season started tomorrow.