Steve Tilford

Hey, if you are anywhere in the Dallas Metro area, I’m doing a cross clinic tomorrow afternoon (Sunday) at 1 pm at the WNX course on Renner Road in Richardson. It’s a free skills clinic for women only. They’ve been having a great turnout of new women cross racers and thought it would be a benefit to the new riders to learn the some of the skills early. Here is a Facebook link to the specifics and directions. This is advertised as a women’s only event, but it really isn’t. I just talked to Jeff Lucido, event organizer, and he said that a lot of guys have shown some interest, so if you are a guy and interested, maybe give the girls a couple hours of early instruction and show up a little later, after 3-4pm and then everyone can participate. So, if you’re around, come on by for a few hours of cyclocross skills and training. Texas’s cross scene is raging, so come on out and see what it’s all about.

Yesterday I had a blast. I was fortunate to get invited down to Dallas to help out with a women’s specific cyclocross clinic. And it was very energizing, motivating, and fun. Jeff Lucido and Bryan Fawley, of the Texas Cross Syndicate are really doing their part to grow this sport. I know that there are hundreds of people around the country, maybe 1000’s, putting a ton of effort into cyclocross just because. These guys have a permanent course set up that anyone can use anytime. They put on a night time race every Wednesday, the W.N.X., until the weekend before Thanksgiving. They are drawing close to 200 riders now. 3 years ago Bryan said he got 28 guys. Pretty great.

There were a lot of women there. I’d guess somewhere around 50. A ton of varying abilities, which was to be expected. Everyone seemed pretty interested in helping each other, which was great too. Anyway, I never cease to be amazed how rewarding helping others learn can be. Especially learning something that I really enjoy. It was really enjoyable watching virtually everyone get better. That is one great thing about cyclocross, improving on technique is easy because it is so difficult to master.

The afternoon turned into the early evening. After the women’s clinic, we did a little spur of the moment men’s thing. There were only 10-15 guys, a much more manageable group. And most of the guys race the Wednesday night races, so they were a little more experienced in general. At the end of the clinic, we did 4 or 5 hot laps. I haven’t really ridden moderately hard off-road for a while, so it felt fast at first, but after a couple laps, seemed pretty reasonable.

Anyway, it was all good. I was staying really close to the course, with my friend Sue, at her mom’s. It was so convenient, easy and greatly appreciated. It isn’t all rosy though. In the middle of the night, last night, the satorious muscle on my left leg cramped harder and longer than it every has before in past history. I was really worried that it wasn’t going to ever release for a moment. Guess I’m not in any kind of shaper for cyclo-x, which isn’t a surprise to me.

I’m on my way back up to Kansas now. I have a couple things to finish up in the Walberg’s bathroom tonight. Then I need to figure out the rest of the fall. I’m itching to do a race, even though I’m no where near race fit. This season has been pretty strange to say the least.