Is this your first race?

So I already posted this on one of my bike forums, but it saves me from having to type a whole 'nother blog.  Feast upon my idiocy, and enjoy!

Saturday was supposed to be my first cx race of the season, but somehow I managed to turn it into a festival of follies.

First up, I left my USAC racing license at home. I have the number memorized, but that's always been good enough. Not this time, USAC official needs to see it, because my last registration was for a 1-day license. Which is way wrong, but whatever, burden of proof is with me. So I hoof it back to the car, grab my Sprint Evo and try and login to the site, taking up precious warm up time while I decode my password. Finally get it, get my number and get kitted up. Not a big deal, but there's more to come.

Second, I was checking the bike out the night before trying to silence my banshee brakes, and noticed my chain was wicked stretched out. Thankfully my team captain/shop owner checks his email late at night and was super courteous and brought me a chain from the shop. T-minus 33 minutes and I'm swapping chains.

Now it's time to get to the line, and he and I are starting down the hill to the start line when he tells me I can't rock the sleeveless. I don't have a normal jersey, just this tri/bike jersey and long-sleeved cross jerseys. At this point, it's about 4 minutes to GO, and I say oh well, let's see if the official calls me out. I barely get down the hill in all my 110db brake squealing-glory when she starts rattling off the rule number at me and tells me to go change.

I'm like WTF, there's no time. So I sprint back up the hill, get flustered, and then call it a day. My spirit had been broken at that point, and figured it's early in the season. So I stayed and cheered on my team, and watched people try and auger themselves into the ground with 6" barriers.

It's early in the season, and I'm glad a day like this is behind me. It was all self-inflicted, but damn, that wasn't much fun. 

My next race is Oct. 3rd in Parkville, for Boss Cross #2.  I have cross clinic tonight, and boys' trip/Katy Trail this weekend.  Of course, as luck would have it, my team is putting on a race this weekend, and needs lots of help in doing so.  This race was scheduled about 3 weeks ago, and my boy's trip has been on for months.  This is a fine example of my main grievance with the team.  Their sense of scheduling works great for a single person living in midtown.  It works like ass for a married guy with two kids, and lives in deep south OP.  /rant