Cross Session #1

Had my first training with the team today. The session was taught by Brandon...holy cow there is a lot to learn! We started with the basics of course...like dismounting both with the foot on the outside and the inside (into a stride where the right foot goes on the inside between the left foot on the pedal. We then moved onto more advanced stuff like shouldering the bike and picking up the bike like a suitcase...all interesting and new. I have been practicing the dismount most of the summer which helped but i never really knew how to correctly pick up the bike and certainly did not know how to shoulder the bike correctly where the right hand holds the handlebars after hefting the thing with the right hand on the downtube while still moving. Honestly I felt confident with most of the dismount stuff but really struggled with the shouldering and the proper method to get the bike off the shoulder and on the ground without dropping a chain. Man, this is so different than anything I have ever done... My HR was pegged doing these drills up and down a soccer field. Unbelievable. We also did mounts of course which were hard and then culminated with starts and then work with the cross props barriers. I am definitely glad to have had a some instruction before just jumping in without knowing anything. Can't wait to try this in a race without more practice of course. There is another drill session next week (north boulder about 20 minutes from the house by car and 40 by bike) and then after that there is a fast group that practices by the house on the local cross course (where i did my short track race this spring). So, one more week of drill and then fast race laps trying not to get lapped! Sounds like a plan.