Faust Park Bubba #3

This past Sunday marked my return to CX after an automotive imposed hiatus. Having ridden a total of six-ish hours in the last three weeks and with a questionable calf, I lined up at Faust Park expecting little of myself and simply hoping to be moderately competitive. Thankfully, it was the Halloween race, so there was little personal expectation save for having some good times and my attire gave me one more reason to treat the race as a hard ride with little hope of results. The race began on a slight uphill drag before taking us to the backside of the park for some twisty wooded goodness before working us back around toward the start finish area. After ripping down the opening hill, I was sitting somewhere in the top ten as we hit the double run up creatively centered in the bottom of a sewage drain. I decided to run the first run up, requisite given the initial barrier and ride the second. I cleaned the second run up, but the few slips of the wheel took some energy and I decided I would run it from then on. From here the course entered a set of multiple 180's before dumping us onto a bit of pavement before a highly enjoyable transfer back to the dirt through the start finish. I was suffering pretty hard and not feeling the good legs that were there before my accident. I suppose they'll come back around by the end of the season, but they were nowhere to be found on Sunday. Little worry, I was in and out of the top ten and having a good, pain filled time. Lizz, Margaret, Justin and many others were providing me with beer showers and handups through the race and screaming themselves horse in my ear. The delicious beer feeds would be my undoing as the USA Cycling official decided that the lack of safety and rule breaking that I brought to the event was unacceptable and I was disqualified with three to go. I think I was in tenth or eleventh or something at the time. It really didn't matter, I'd got what I needed out of the day and I was able to commence grilling a bit sooner. St. Louis CX is coming around little by little and it's days like this one that illustrate this fact. Great turnout, lots of spectators and most people set on having a good time. I hope this continues and our series will eventually become one of the storied hotbeds of cross in the States. A bit grandiose, but the sis or seven people in costume really got me fired up.... Here are some photos that I did not take.