My first cyclocross race of the season took place on Tuesday evening at Laycock Park. It was a good course run almost entirely on grass except for one very short, hard dirt trail through the trees. There were lots of chicanes on the flat and two climbs up the hill on the west side of the park. The course was well laid out with red flags on the right side and blue on the left. Some of the chicanes were a little difficult to follow and the course passed close to itself a few times which added some confusion but overall I enjoyed it. The hardest part was a diagonal climb up the hill and a 135° turn to run across the top of the hill. The barriers were right in front of a section going straight up the hill so I had to dismount there and plod up the hill.
Only one race was run since time is now limited before the sun goes down so there were Cat 2 through Cat 5 male riders and women all together. I started at the back and remained there. I was able to stay with a few other back-markers throughout the race until I dropped out at 17 minutes. I tended to lose a little time in the high-speed corners coming down the hill but I would make up the time in the chicanes.
I'm still overweight and not in shape and this was the first time I've tested myself against other riders since June. I'm still feeling tired most of the time due to trouble sleeping and I still cannot get my heart rate up to normal maximum levels. On recent commutes, I've been wearing my monitor and I start to tired quickly if I get above 160 bpm. Usually, I can sustain an effort over 170 bpm. On the last ride or two, my monitor has become a bit flakey so I'm trying to buy a new battery for it. I didn't have it on during this race. I know I worked as hard as I could but I have no feedback on my heart rate. I should have a new battery and my monitor on for both races in Edmonton this weekend.
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