"Just sweet. Really, really sweet."
“Trying to get fast on the cyclocross course is hard enough. Throw in a marriage and two full-time jobs, and you’ve got a whole new level of complexity – one that has forced a lot of people to make some hard choices. … That’s the recipe for Rhonda and Erik and their boy Gus during this year’s cross season…
…While the rest of his competitors are warming up on trainers and taking practice laps and stretching and focusing on themselves in the thorough way of experienced racers, Erik walks the course with Gus in his arms, interrupted frequently by people who admire his boy, want a little advice on the course or their equipment, or just say hello. Gus and Erik play a game called ‘Let’s stick our tongues out.’ … Erik continues his course wandering, cheering when Rhonda races by, and taking a little time to stretch while Gus climbs over his back.
Rhonda’s race goes fine, but not great. She doesn’t spend much time mulling it over, though. While the other women warm down, Rhonda dashes for the Kona tent, pulls off the muddiest and wettest of her clothes and pulls on a few layers of fleece. Just ten meters away, Erik dresses with Gus at his feet. Gel packets tucked into a short. Chunk of cheese stick in Gus’ mouth. Arms into the skinsuit. Put Gus’ hat back on. Stretch a hamstring. Keep Gus from leaving the relatively dry ground under the tent. Pull on some bike shoes. Put Gus’ hat back on, again. Helmet on. Another cheese stick for the boy, and it’s time to pass him to Rhonda.
‘There were several times during the season when I wondered if it’s really worth the effort,’ says Rhonda one evening after Gus is asleep and before she heads downstairs to do an interval workout on the trainer. ‘But we’ve chosen not to do athletics as our sole purpose. We’re just living life and we’re at the stage in our lives when we wanted to have a child. We still enjoy pushing ourselves in races, though.’
Just another fast family in the city of muddy bike riders.”
Words and photos via the fantastic pdxcross, where you can read and see much more.