Good Day To Be a Perna (PA State Championships presented by Team VisitPa.Com)

BP (PA State Cyclocross Champ 55+)

...and Me (PA State Cyclocross Champ B Women)

I know we still have one race remaining before we wrap up the 2008 cross season, but I really need to acknowledge the fact that my dad has been so supportive of my crossmania this year...

Yesterday's race was won for him...thanks, Dad!

photos courtesy of Anthony Skorochod

The New Kings of Rhythm at Vincent's

Lap One (I mean, Set One): 2nd turn (I mean, song), Rob broke a spoke (I mean, string) during a searing attack (I mean, guitar solo)...his teammate (I mean, sax player) took a pull (I mean, solo) while Rob exchanged bikes (I mean, guitars) in the pit... oh, cut it out!! There is only one race left...until then, fully, utterly, completely immersed. Sorry!

Whitmore's Super Cup...or, Weekend in the Hamptons

Day One (my dad's start)

Kera & Kathrin (and her frozen chocolate donut)

Georgia!

Lynne Bessette (what cooking lessons??)

BP driving on the beach...(and not getting stuck...right, Kathrin?!..phew)

"Hello, Seinfeld? Diddy? Are you there?"

Day Two...facing the chill...again

Christina & Angela

BP hanging onto 3rd in the Masters 55+

and...the MAC women on the podium!

Isn't it always a little weird coming back after a weekend like this?

I mean, you're gone three days...not terribly far away from home...

You raced twice.

You froze froze froze your ass off...you piled on all manner of warm clothing and thought about racing in your booties and balaclava.

You couldn't hide from the wind, except for maybe a brief respite in the wooded sections of the course.

You explored your surroundings, marveled at the the enormity of the homes...the unique architecture...the whitecaps on the water...the clean sand...the ridiculous gates (and ordinary mailboxes)...

You shared a lovely meal and a glass of wine with your main competitors (an extraordinary, memorable dinner at WildThyme, the race promoter's restaurant)...

You probably destroyed your pumpkin soup, as a matter of fact.

You earned a medal or two...you earned a spot on the podium with the leaders of the series, which is gratifying and maybe a little surreal (you know, considering all the other pieces of your proverbial puzzle)...

You probably cheered for your fellow MAC brothers & sisters (and dads, of course)...

You got to know the competition a little better (on & off the course).

You stood, a little starstruck, in the midst of the Kings & Queens of cross (and maybe even exchanged a little pre-race banter with an ultra-friendly, ultra-approachable Georgia Gould)...

Then...

You're back on the road, exhausted & content...season drawing to a close...heading home.

It was a great weekend, right?!

(friday) "Look outside!!"

Count On It

Any time I have travel plans, I freak out the day before or day of departure... doesn't matter where I am going, how I am getting there, or who I am going with... doesn't matter if it's something I've been eagerly anticipating (Nationals, Jamaica?)... ineveitably, some form of a panic attack or gnawing anxiety will consume me just as I am about to make a list or gather my gear or pack my bags. RRRRRRRR. just sayin...

it's not cold outside it's not cold outside...

Good day for Toko gloves, don't you agree?? Hey, here is big news: Diablo went to sleep without Binky last night for the first time ever (besides maybe a few random hours here or there during infancy). Yes, he will FOUR in a matter of weeks (holy shit, I have an almost-four year-old)...but, so what? Took me forever to give up my binky. Upon waking this morning, he said, "You were right, mom. I slept GREAT without it. I can't believe it!" Ha. I was right. Other stuff on my mind: The horror stories I keep hearing about the drive to Long Island are disheartening. I like my new job & I hope they keep me around. My son says "Linja" for Ninja...it's cute...but, he almost pronounces "yellow" correctly now (I kinda miss "reddow"). The snow flurries were way too brief yesterday. We heard "Run, Run, Rudolph" on the way to dinner last night, and I was not compelled to change the station... I bought a Christmas present.

Enjoying the Moment (USGP Mercer Cup Day One)

I will not be racing Day Two of the Mercer Cup tomorrow...truly got my fill today and I am happy to admit I need a break! I. Had. So. Much. Fun. Muddy, muddy, muddy mud...my legs are thrashed, pummeled, done...my bike? The same (oh, you poor, poor wheels...) Check this out...the sand was the best (only?) recovery out there. The fly-over? Bliss...so satisfying to just blast down after trudging up those murderous steps. I am proud of the way I raced today, happy with my handling, happier about my attitude... the competition out there was no joke...I am so impressed with the field of women I've been racing among this year. After my race, I doled out some outstanding oatmeal white chocolate chip-cranberry cookies to Karen & Rolf ("Cookies, Rolf!! Step on it!!"), then settled in to watch my dad's race. Side note: No, BP, does not suffer from asthma...it's the way he has breathed for as long as I can remember (yes, even at the dinner table or driving home from a race...kidding)... So, my dad's race: Wonder what it's like to line up with Fred Wittwer and Richard Sachs...as Richard Fries remarked, "What an esteemed field" No kidding...BP hung onto 3rd for a while, then Nunzio (love that name) pulled ahead...in spite of a side-stitch and horrendous conditions, my dad finished strong as always... A good day for the Pernas, once again. Other thoughts about today: I've said it before, but I really love cross...I love the way I feel after the race, the camaraderie, travelling with my dad (who, thankfully, always has good music on in the car...always), catching up with friends, shouting and cheering for all the familiar faces...I love the sound of the cowbells and the swishing tires cutting through the grit and mud, working with someone strong, gasping words of encouragement, finding the right line, slogging through chewed up grass and puddles... Still, Count me out for tomorrow... good luck & have fun!

Be There

New Kings of Rhythm Vincent's (Gay Street, West Chester) saturday Nov. 15 10pm (my favorite place to see my brother play)

busy, busy, busy weekend...

Go, Phillies!...I mean, Go, Lorien & John!! Me, my brother (Rob), & Renee My cousin, Lorien, the lovely Bride & BP (he cleans up nicely, too, huh?) MEGAAAAAA!!! who needs cowbells??? I heard her voice everywhere Sunday!

55+ Podium (55+...really??)

West Chester Veteran's Day Parade

Friday Night: dinner at the Perna's...early to bed.

Saturday: Beacon (ahhhh, I love this race, even when I am getting stomped and demoralized), followed by my cousin's wedding (no, I didn't bring my dancing shoes...and only drank half a glass of red wine)...early to bed.

Sunday: HPCX (where Lenore kicked my ass, but I stole her pink pump...okay, she gave it to me), followed by the parade in WC (led by our favorite local bulldog)...

Next up, Mercer Cup!

More Things I Like These Days:

Rippy Jeans the Killers anything gray, any shade of gray almonds Green tea, boiling hot salty bath, boiling hot Spiuk mountain bike shoes burt's bees pomegranate shampoo Philadelphia Academy of Natural Science Italian chocolate SRAM Force Halloween my dad's new pre-race pasta red knee socks from American Apparel facebook (my latest obsession/time-waster) Nike armwarmers (thanks, Anne Rock...really, I can keep them??) my son's haircut Santa Maria Novella Melograno perfume (revisited after an involuntary hiatus) fall!!

Cross-Eyed & Painless

Count Basie Theater Red Bank, NJ

No fucking way!

Still too blown away to comment on seeing David Byrne last night with my dad & brother.

No Naps!

...but, where's the tortoise?? Christina won! Sean Awwwwww!

This is a cross race!

and the winner's alter ego, The Chicken, before the Elite race

Wayne Scott Fair Hill CX:

So, the Hare finished her race and was met with, "What happened, did you have a mechanical??"

And, "What happened to you out there?"

Jeez.

Well, the Hare did not stop to nap (or even relax).

The Hare certainly did not brag or boast about her fast pace...uh-uh.

No,

The Hare was up late trick-or-treating with her leveret, the Wolverine...

The Hare didn't touch her bike allllll week long because she was sick and stressed out about missing work (she is, after all, still the Newbie)...

The Hare just wanted to show up and ride one of her favorite courses ever...hop hop hop over some barriers, scamper up a muddy little hill, and motor through a pit filled with sand and chewed-up tires!! Fun, fun, fun...

One spot out of the top 5, I mean, is that really so bad???

And just for the record, slow and steady does not win a cross race either, that's for sure...

The moral of this story??

Nevermind...it's painfully obvious!