FLCC> 'cross

[Glenn Swan]

The list has been very quiet recently. Now, to stir the pot......

Sunday is the Greene 'Cross race.  Karl Faruzel has been promoting this 
event since before there were any other 'cross races in upstate NY. He and 
his students do a great job every year, and the prizes are  among the best 
and most treasured award I have ever received at bike races.  The course 
retains the heart of the early years, but Karl grows slightly more 
diabolical every year, figuring new ways to squeeze more fun (and pain ?) 
out of the resources he has on hand in the school environs.  If you only do 
one race all season, this is the one to do.  It's not far away. There are 
locker rooms in the school so you can change from wet and dirty racing gear 
to warm dry street clothes after the race (while waiting for the pizza to 
arrive). It's almost civilized !

Just for some dirt....I plan to break out a new (well, never sold, year 
2000) 'Cross bike for this race so I can push Andy Melnychenko harder than 
he had to go at Syracuse.  I figure with all the time he spends up in trees 
(deer hunting) these days he might just be ripe for picking. Can you 
imagine just how much grief he would get if he didn't actually win the 
masters race ? Not to put any pressure on you, Andy....I'm still not 
speaking to Ernesto Bayles after he crushed me in a brutal sprint at the 
end of last year's event. Revenge is the order of the day for him.  And I 
would plan to drive to the race with Matt Delisa, but I am afraid that 
after the beating I will be administering to him, he would drive home 
without me and make me ride my bike back to Ithaca. Last year I helped put 
numerous riders' numbers on their jerseys using the spray adhesive I keep 
in my car. This year I have upgraded to something equally high-tech, but 
more dependable in wet, cold conditions....a nail gun. Just stop by my car 
if you need help with your number...Scott Hannan can probably help too.  If 
there's anyone I haven't insulted or goaded to come out to this event, 
please show up anyway.  Ithacans often make up a large part of the race, 
and I hope we'll have a good local showing this year too.

Speaking of 'cross...The trails at the Swandrome are really wet in some 
places and we have cut them to shreds with our skinny tires. In the 
interest of getting the trails ready for the coming (hopefully) ski season, 
I plan to take down the barriers and cut out the cross practices for the 
rest of the year. It's dark after work anyway... If anybody feels that they 
still need more opportunities to get muddy, they will be welcomed to join 
me as I go out with mattock and shovels and try to drain the swamp in those 
wet corners. And we still need to hack our way through the trail behind the 
pond if the lower loop is going to be open for skating this winter. Last 
year it was so wet that it almost never froze enough to lay tracks. With 
some work we can improve our odds of success.

C'mon out.

Glenn