Race report: St. Cloud

This race ended up being what I was expecting, so my bike setup was perfect for a grassy, non-technical course. I think I raced as well as I could have, and was pleased with my performance. Unfortunately it was only good for 9th. I was able to pass people on the technical parts, but I would get passed on the grassy parts due to my lack of fitness. I'm hearing that all of the races are becoming much less technical each year. If so, that would be truly sad to see - people complaining about exactly those things that make cyclocross what it is. St. Cloud was mostly a grass criterium, with two sets of barriers and one potentially rideable run-up (or push-up as many people did). As a testament, there were many, many bikes with water bottle cages still mounted, both in Moorhead and St. Cloud. Still, it was a fun race with a good turnout, and if that's what it takes to make it more accessible, then so be it.

__Super Rookie was racing the Cs too, although I didn't recognize him until he came over and introduced himself, which was cool of him. We chatted for a bit. Hope to see more of you at the races Tim! Karla raced the Bs, and was working an amazing dismount. She would do a step-through, but instead of swinging her leg around behind and through, she would just pull her leg directly over the top tube and step down. It was fascinating to watch, because she made it look good, and it was fast. She could get away with the 'superman' remount too, and did great through the barriers.
__Lynne was too tired to do the race, so she got some good photos and chatted with Karla and some of the other women. There was a big Birchwood contingent today, so it sounds like they're encouraging people to come out for 'cross, which is good. Whoever was driving their huge Excursion could learn some driving lessons and courtesy, though, as (s)he stopped at the last minute in traffic and tried to barge into the lane of traffic waiting patiently to exit 94 onto 35W, causing everyone behind in that lane to slam on their brakes, some even losing some rubber.
__Overall a fun weekend though, and a good learning experience. Looking forward to Hudson and the Badger Cross next weekend!