Monday, November 01, 2004

coblestone cyclocross #1

up on time, thanks to the promoters scheduling the C race for 10 instead of 9 and the clocks falling back sunday morning, and into the car with plenty of time... 2 hour drive down to richmond and an hour to register/warm up... there's no need to leave extra time for traffic, it's a sunday morning...

2 minutes into my drive and i hit a police barricade trying to get onto beach drive... strange... plan b... head down connecticut ave to pick up rock creek parkway further south... another barricade blocking the ramp to the parkway, this one with a couple of marines alongside the cops... damn, is it the marine corps marathon today? keep going down conn. ave and try to make it over to independance and get to 395 that way... no luck, get onto constitution heading west; no way across the mall, but i can get to 66... i'm a bit behind schedule now and it'll be the long way round, but it'll work...

as soon as i get over the bridge the signboards start reading "accident at spout run parkway - exit closed" but that won't be a problem for me, i don't need that exit... a minute later and there's traffic heading towards me in the shoulders, then i hit the backup... everyone is out of their cars wandering around the interstate, not a good sign... turn the radio to the news/traffic/weather station... the whole road is closed so they can bring in a medevac heli... think about turning around, but i don't know where to go in on the virginia side and heading back into DC doesn't seem like a good idea... 45 minutes parked on 66 before we start moving... too late to make a 10am race in richmond...

went for an easy road ride in the afternoon... would have rather been racing...

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