Moronacity

I set out for my very first fall commute with my cross tires. I wasn’t quite sure how long it would take me to get to class and it didn’t help that I was running late, anyway. It’s funny how a chronically late person can continue to run late even though he or she prepares in advance to make it all run smoothly. There is a learning curve, indeed.

Yesterday, I swapped my road tires for my Maxxis Locust CX tires. First, let me state that these tires came with my Kona Jake the Snake and they are the only cross tire I’ve had the pleasure of using. Therefore, I am absolutely no authority on cross tires.

My commute to school was a bit slower, which is expected considering the tread on the tire making for a higher rolling resistance in comparison with my racing road tire. That didn’t really matter, though. It was after class when the real fun began.

I headed up to the Tech Trails and started my cyclocross training session with a jaunt around the Outer Loop in an effort to familiarize myself with my bike on the trail. After awkwardly completing the loop, I worked on mounting and dismounting at the trailhead – ten cycles. That wasn’t the hard part.

I chose to take the east side of the bridge home instead of the west, because it’s easier to cross US-41 without feeling like Frogger. As I came to the end of the bridge on the Hancock side, I noticed some stairs leading up the hill. I’ve seen these stairs before, but I’ve never made an effort to check them out. I decided today was the time for exploration.

I walked across the street, hoisted my bike up on my shoulder, and began jogging up the stairs. Fatigue began to set in. I stopped at a certain point to breathe…and I breathed. I continued to walk up the stairs. It was a bit of an effort I must confess!

I wasn’t quite sure what I was getting myself into when I ventured up this path, but I found myself quite interested in my surroundings. I thought to myself, “This must have been the wealthy part of Hancock!” It was gorgeous! The houses were large with decorated fences of stone, brick, iron – elaborate in design and decorated with flowers and bushes. I didn’t think there were houses like this in my town. I also quickly realized that I was going to meet a street I couldn’t beat. After a couple turns, I found myself climbing a steep street that eventually made me walk just one block from the top. I hopped back on, proceeded to the top of the infamous White Street, and onto US-41 to climb to the top of the hill to Quincy Mine. I was homeward bound.

I arrived home, stretched, ate, watched some television, and headed out to the back field for a 20-minute run. Ow. As I write this, I feel like I’ve had one heck of a workout. Tomorrow will most likely hurt. One thing is for sure, with the onset of fall weather, the excitement of cyclocross is inspiring.