Thursday, December 11, 2008

KCCX Cross Nationals 2008 - A Day of Getting Ready



Yesterday we had an uneventful drive from Denver to Kansas City, MO. We left at 7:15 in the morning. We made stops about every 150 miles and had lunch at Subway. We arrived around dinner time. We unloaded our gear and had dinner at the Smokehouse restaurant. Ethan loved BBQ and that is what Kansas City is known for, so it was a natural choice. We then relaxed in our rooms at the Microtel Hotel. It was an excellent choice with a reasonable price. We have two large, comfortable beds with down comforters, a microwave, refrigerator and a large HD t.v.

Today we got up early sot hat we could be at the course when it first opened. This would allow the kids a chance to ride the course in conditions similar to what it should be tomorrow. It also meant that we got to watch assorted races. Coach Bill and racing kids made about 7 rounds on the course. Ethan and I volunteered to help make the race run smoother. We ended up being Ped. Crossing guards. We got our special shirts, special edition winter racing hats and big badges. It ended up being a fun job. We were stationed at a great location where we could see most of the course. We were able to learn where the difficult spots are and how to best navigate them. Ethan was also a Ped. Crossing guard, but he actually spent most of his three hours fixing spots on the course where racers crashed into the fence and took out the tape marking the course. Midday we were able to get on the course again. By that time the day was warmer and the frozen mud became slippery. We watched more of the races in the afternoon, cheering for everyone we knew or we could tell was from Colorado. It was a lot of fun. We also got to visit with many of the people from KC. We find that they are a friendly, welcoming group. And they run a great race! At the end of the day they got onto the course one more time. By then it had dried out a lot and was easier to navigate. After cleaning the bikes we went back to the hotel. This evening we cleaned the bikes, prepped the gear and went to the Mud Blood Ball.

No comments: