A day at Creve Coeur Park

Today I spent a good chunk of time at Creve Coeur Park. First, drop off a pair of surplus cycling shoe covers to someone who will actually use them. He was doing the running race portion of the Bubba Cyclocross race. I watched part of the running race, and handed over the shoe covers. Next up was some kayaking. The weather was perfect - cool but not cold, windy but not too windy. Water condition was ideal with some decent wind chop for entertainment. And too cold for the stupid Asian Carp to be jumping about and menacing my boat.

A couple hours later, I returned my trusty 'yak to its berth.  I proceeded back to the Bubba race area, where I watched my first cyclocross race.  It was brutal, and I was just watching.  Tires coming off rims, people falling over from exhaustion.  An hour of anaerobic misery.  I had arranged to meet TK to look at a steel bicycle frame he was selling.  I planned to meet him before the race, so as he wouldn't be exhausted, but I was on the water too long for that.  Fortunately TK has inexhaustible energy, and was still game to show me the frame after the one hour of hell he'd just endured.  It's a nice frame.  A little on the sparkly side, but I bought it anyway.  Winter project, you see.  It's "new steel", which I've been wanting to try.  As opposed to the rest of my "old steel" bicycles from the '80s.  Bare frame, which means I'll need to find a fork and do the complete assembly myself.  Should be fun.

I had an encounter while on the water.  "Jason" hailed me from the shore, so I paddled over to see what was up.  He had a wood strip boat, which he'd built himself.  I was impressed; that's no easy feat.  He asked if I wanted to paddle.  No, sorry, I was finishing my boating for the day, off to watch the bike races.  Then he talked about mountain biking.  Then we talked about my boat.  He seemed quite intent on talking to me, and I have no idea why.  I'm really not that exciting to talk to.

Now I'm home.  A little sunburned on the face, but not bad, considering.

*bonus tale of boating blunder:  My kayak is narrow.  17' long, 22" wide.  It's made for moving efficiently on the open ocean, it's a little overkill on a mellow lake.  In kayaking with such a long boat, it's helpful to "heel" the boat, tilting it to one side or the other with your hips, to aid in turning.  This lifts the bow and stern out of the water, and helps it to "carve" a turn.  Trouble is, my boat is so low to the water, and so narrow, that I can easily heel it to the point that the edge of the cockpit goes under water.  Normally, you have a spray skirt on, and there's no problem.  Today, I did not have a spray skirt.  So that water just came right on in the boat with me and made itself at home, dousing my pants in the process.  Note to self:  do not practice extreme heeling maneuvers without a spray skirt.