Cyclocross Holy Trinity

We’ve had three Bamacross races so far this year. And at all three of these races we’ve met some really incredible athletes, and some really incredible supporters. See, it is usually the same people at all of the races, so you get used to setting up your “camp” area next to the same folks each week, and you know who’s competing in which category, and you know who to listen to for interesting cyclocross insults to shout in order to spur your rider on, and which children belong to which rider (and who to return them to, should they wander off). I’ve been lucky enough to be able to accompany Slim to all of these races, and we’ve made a point to try to make our race days as comfortable as possible with food and drink and small creature comforts to share with our friends. It has been great fun, and in a strange way I feel a bit maternal towards all these hardworking folk. After all, I can feed these people who are wonderfully hungry from their races, but not have to worry about finding a way to pay for them to go to college…

Today is the fourth race in the Bamacross series. It is at Sloss Furnace. This is the race at which Slim broke his wrist while warming up last year. It is a race that he is most determined to ride in. We’ve had a very busy week, what with ballet/yoga on Monday, voting and late working for Slim on Tuesday, Chairman’s Club Dinner Thursday, Slim’s auto tire shenanigans and late working on Friday, amazing Center for the Book/Book Arts in Tuscaloosa Saturday, and Alabama Ballet at Wallace Hall tonight. Slim has not had a day off this week, so he’s tired and a bit under the weather because I think I’ve given him my cold. And because I have so much to do to prepare for next week, and for the ballet tonight (it will take an act of God or congress to beautify my runny-eye-and-nosed mug), I am staying home. So, Slim is on the road to Sloss, to face his demons alone. Before he left, he touched the Richard Sachs broadside, the Jens Voigt broadside and the home altar. Oh, my. It’s like some cyclocross Holy Trinity…shall we pray? Yes, we shall.

To be continued…