my race season, 2010
Looking over the available dates and checking them against my schedule, here's my projected race season for 2010. As you'll note, it starts later than most.
Portland Short-Track XC series, at PIR: The season runs weekly June 21 through August 2. I plan to race every week except the opening race (when I'll be at a wedding). I am SO grateful there's a short-track series IN town!
OBRA State Championship Short-track XC race: August 14, presumably at the State Fairgrounds in Salem. This may not work out for me schedule-wise (or transportation-wise) but if it does I'd like to go.
Blind Date at the Dairy, at Alpenrose: an early-season weeknight 'cross series that I am told is lots of fun and very low-key/no-pressure. I would like to do at least the first couple of races, before it gets dark too early. (I doubt I'd be able to do the later races because of my night-blindness.)
Cyclocross Crusade: Begins October 3 and runs through mid-November. As I did last year, I will race the Portland-area (transit-accessible) races, plus Barton Park; that's roughly half the races in the series.
US Gran Prix Portland Cup: First weekend in December. I will probably only sign up to race the first day, and enjoy the second day as a spectator and/or volunteer. (I learned from last year that I probably don't have the stamina to race full-on two days in a row.) A few people have asked me if I'd do this race again, even though it was so cold and so challenging for me; but when they throw a race like this practically in your backyard, well, you go and do it.
US Cyclocross Nationals, Bend: I really, really want to go to Bend this year. It's doubtful that I could afford to race -- or that I would honestly have anything left in the tank by then -- so I am beginning to network for ways to go with a Portland-based company as a booth-helper or something in exchange for room and transportation.
From the closing night of Portland Short-track XC, 2009:
STXC 2009 RACE 7 from Scott Barker on Vimeo.
Portland Short-Track XC series, at PIR: The season runs weekly June 21 through August 2. I plan to race every week except the opening race (when I'll be at a wedding). I am SO grateful there's a short-track series IN town!
OBRA State Championship Short-track XC race: August 14, presumably at the State Fairgrounds in Salem. This may not work out for me schedule-wise (or transportation-wise) but if it does I'd like to go.
Blind Date at the Dairy, at Alpenrose: an early-season weeknight 'cross series that I am told is lots of fun and very low-key/no-pressure. I would like to do at least the first couple of races, before it gets dark too early. (I doubt I'd be able to do the later races because of my night-blindness.)
Cyclocross Crusade: Begins October 3 and runs through mid-November. As I did last year, I will race the Portland-area (transit-accessible) races, plus Barton Park; that's roughly half the races in the series.
US Gran Prix Portland Cup: First weekend in December. I will probably only sign up to race the first day, and enjoy the second day as a spectator and/or volunteer. (I learned from last year that I probably don't have the stamina to race full-on two days in a row.) A few people have asked me if I'd do this race again, even though it was so cold and so challenging for me; but when they throw a race like this practically in your backyard, well, you go and do it.
US Cyclocross Nationals, Bend: I really, really want to go to Bend this year. It's doubtful that I could afford to race -- or that I would honestly have anything left in the tank by then -- so I am beginning to network for ways to go with a Portland-based company as a booth-helper or something in exchange for room and transportation.
From the closing night of Portland Short-track XC, 2009:
You can watch this video on www.livejournal.com
STXC 2009 RACE 7 from Scott Barker on Vimeo.