More Cyclocross Racing!

Well I did my second race, third in the Sacramento Cyclocross Series.  Was a rather flat course, but did have a few little bits of climb and one run up.  The race this weekend was at Lembi Park in Folsom, California.

Lembi Park Course in Folsom, CA

The sand pit was the toughest part as it contained a kink to the right and there wasn't a good line through there.  For 6 of the 7 laps I went to the inside, it was a deep rut, but it was easy to power through.  Of course on the last time through I thought that I could take the outside line, but it really didn't work, I bogged down and fell over, allowing three people to come by at the very end, crap!  

The field was around 40 or 45 or so for the Men's B 35+, felt like more, but I am not really used to riding with so many again.  I would hate to see a 100+ person field, I would probably hyperventilate on the start line.  I tend to start at the back of the pack and slowly pick people off as the race goes on.  If I started from the front I might be able to stay up a little bit higher in the placings, but since I am just getting back into things I really don't feel the need to try and end up blocking people or crashing in front of others.  My shifters are pretty messed up, I could only go between two gears most of the day, but it got me through.  Also need to toe-in the front brakes so they don't squeak so much under hard braking.  Hopefully I can change over to SRAM Rival and Avid Ultimate shorty brakes before next season, I really have begun to dislike Shimano stuff, after riding Dura-Ace and Ultegra stuff I have gotten used to my SRAM Force components on my road bike and they work so much better, but I don't crash on them as much as I do with my CX bike.  

Andrew's bi-polar problems are rather bad lately, he can be suicidal one minute and completely fine the next. Early onset bi-polar or childhood bi-polar is different than adolescent or adult bi-polar and can cycle rapidly from manic states to depressive states.  It is very difficult to deal with and can be exhausting just trying to not say something that will begin the downward spiral to a manic (angry) state.  Andrew has real problems with my bad hearing.  I often ask people to repeat themselves as I can't hear, but when I ask Andrew it often has the consequence of starting one of his manic states, this is particularly bad when I am driving with Andrew in the back seat.  I can't hear things face to face, but when someone is behind me I really have a hard time hearing, hence the problem with the back seat.  We moved all the knives in the house due to Andrew's latest outbursts, but I am hoping that getting Drew into a psychiatrist, not just the neurologist, will help us come up with a medication plan that will work, but it is always trial and error with medications for children and these issues. 

We are also hoping that going to a special education environment will help with things, too bad the Elk Grove School District seems to not understand what the state laws are.  South Sutter, our homeschool district has been great about things, but it seems like the EGUSD (Elk Grove Unified School District) can't seem to follow what is required by law and our IEP that we had to fight to get with them.  We will see though, I just hope Drew will adapt, we have been giving him all sorts of prompts that this will be coming and that we won't be doing the homeschool thing, although we can continue to do some of the studies we started, regardless of where he ends for school.  Cathy and I just want to have the best outcome we can for Andrew, he deserves it.  Well going to get to bed and enjoy the fall-back portion of daylight savings.  Goodnight all!