And it finally begins........

Some of you may know this, but I have been absent from cyclocross for the last few seasons. That is about to change though, in a big way. After a somewhat disappointing mountain bike season, my debut season as a Pro, I wasn't sure what to think about a full cyclocross schedule. I took 2 weeks off after the Windham ProXC Tour race to rest, relax, travel, and see where I stood with my cycling. It was refreshing, exhilarating, everything I could ask for and more. And when it was all said and done and I straddled my bike again, I felt the feeling.

The feeling was a piece of the spark that I was missing all mtb season. I had the drive, determination, dedication, and focus all year, but the spark wasn't there. I raced with the Lupine Corporate Team at the Seven Spring 24hr Challenge and could feel the ignitors clicking. At the first Wednesday night 'cross workout, I could feel the warmth. And even when mechanical mishaps were holding me back at the last mountain bike race of 2009, I could still feel the build-up.

The full brunt of what was to come hit me this passed Monday when my 2010 Giant TCX 0 made it back home to my workstand. As I built it, adjusted it, and fine-tuned it, the symbiosis between man and machine was made complete. And the spark that I was looking for? Well, the spark came back full force during this past Wednesday's 'cross workout. Running the barriers after an off-camber sweeper, bunny hopping a branch pile, weaving through muddy grass and trees and accelerating out of the final turn. This was the feeling I had been waiting for. This was the spark. This was cyclocross.

And it finally begins, after 3 empty Fall seasons, this weekend at the Nittany 'Cross and the Charm City Cross. An East-Coast UCI Double-Header Cyclocross Kickoff weekend. If you're racing, than I'm sure I'll see you there. If you're not, than come on out with your cowbells and a bottle of your finest Belgian hops and cheer us on over barriers, over sandpits, over run-ups, over cyclocross.