After racing last week in the Vernon Hills Grand Prix where the field was all black & white, I was on the other end at Muskego Park. In fact, I was the only xXx'er in any on the fields, correct me if I'm wrong. The race registration volunteers wondered about the origin of our name and then asked if I'd be racing with a kit on. I told him our kit had strategically placed holes -you know, for the I-pods.

Anyway, about the race. The course had a pretty decent climb leading up to the start/finish line and the rest of the course was downhill with graceful curves and only one sharp turn. It was held in forest preserve ring road so there were no curbs either.

The start time for my race was at 3:45 and it was a 45 minute + 2 lap format. To make it more difficult on myself, I had gotten in 24 miles of mountain biking at Kettle Moraine earlier that day (no late race was going to get in the way of some dirt riding). The only problem was that I was beat before I even started the race. No matter how much I ate I was perpetually hungry. Knowing that my energy levels were so low, I was hoping just to survive in the back of the pack. Luckily for me, the hill climb leveled the field and allowed me to keep with the pack. With two laps to go I moved to the front; on the last lap coming into the last turn I tried using the inside lane to accelerate to the front. Three or four other riders had the same idea though, and they used the far inside line, accelerated, cut across the pack, took the turn at speed, and eventually sprinted for the win. I ended up 16th of 37 which I considered a mental victory, because this was the worst condition I've ever been in during a race, but it ended up alright. And then I started eating...all the way home.