The Bubble Double: 2023 Bubblecross + 5th Ave Mile
As with all bad ideas, the FOMO induced idea to race both the 5th Avenue Mile and Bubblecross originated in the TBD Team Slack. But with a bit of peer pressure, a bit of a squad signed on board for a very unique footrace + cyclocross double header.
Lucia and Scott recap their double race morning which included our 2023 cross season opener at Bubblecross.
Lucia’S Recap
TBD Run Club influence has been going strong all season and at some point, we reached critical mass to aim to run the 2024 NYC Marathon via New York Road Runners’ 9+1 program. Always a sucker for peer pressure, I found myself registered for (too many) running races to earn my entry. One of these is the 5th Avenue Mile, one of the most iconic NYRR races. However, this year’s Bubblecross, a team favorite, was moved to the same date. Initially, team slack started off with sad faces at the prospect of having to choose, but as member of team bad idea, I suggested, why not both? Looking at logistics, it seemed possible to squeeze in a 1 mile run (~7 minute effort), run directly from the finish line to the subway to head uptown to my already packed car & head off to Bubbling Springs NJ in time for my 10:30am race. Teammates eventually warmed to the idea, and with the blessing of team coach Kate Cumming (given our extremely mild expectations of any results), Lisa, Matt, Scott and myself decided it was worth a shot to attempt the “Bubble Double” duathlon.
I won’t give a detailed 5th Ave Mile race report other than to say it was a super fun experience to run down 5th Avenue with NINE THOUSAND fellow New Yorkers and some very fast Scottish pros. My goal was to keep it moving but not kill myself so I could make it to Bubble uninjured. Goal accomplished and about 15 minutes after the race start, I was already standing in a pool of my own sweat on the 4 train headed uptown.
I arrived at the Bubble venue with an hour to spare, got my number (super easy self-serve check in FOR THE WIN!), changed into kit, somehow lost my number from the bathrooms to the car, realized I lost my number as I was about to hop on course, and rode around the parking lot looking under cars for my number. A kind Jalapeno rider (thank you, Jess!) stopped me in my 3rd lap around the parking lot, informing me my number was found. By then I had missed my only pre-ride opportunity, but I still managed to get eyes on some important course change features, including a new log feature in the woods. I had raced this course so many times before, I felt confident I could figure out my lines in the first couple of laps. The goal going into this first race of my season of “chill cross vibes”, was to not worry about results, but rather just ride smooth and steady and have fun. But, race predictor still got pressure mounting in my head, rain started coming down, and I was excited to go head to head with my fellow competitors.
As soon as the whistle blew, my foot that was initially clipped in, immediately unclipped - even before I managed to clip in my other foot! Then it was a frantic couple of seconds flailing about trying to sprint with both feet unclipped. By the time we reached the grass, I had already gone from first row start to nearly dead last. I laughed at the absurdity of it, realizing I had swapped pedals just the day before without checking the retention, and must’ve put on some really old pedals. The rest of the race was an exercise in trying to keep as smooth as possible on essentially tiny metal flats and trying to claw back as many places as I could. With the driving rain, course conditions changed every lap. Corners got greasier, roots & rocks slippy-er, and puddles got deeper. The only section that got easier to ride was the sand.
It was one of most fun and challenging Bubblecross races in recent memory! Would I recommend racing the 5th Avenue Mile and Bubblecross? Yes and Yes! But please, not on the same day again.
Double Bubble Strava recaps by Lucia
Scott’s Recap
I was planning just to run the 5th Ave mile on Sunday, a bucket list run for me, but sad that I was missing the unofficial start of CX season, Bubblecross. This is where the foster of all good (bad) ideas, TBD Slack came in. Matt was talking about prioritising the mile over bubble and a realisation went off in my mind that he could possibly thinking about doing both! I quickly posed the question “is swinging both possible” to which Lucia replied it was feasible! Plans were quickly made for me to ride to the Vandy’s apartment on the UES to drop off my bike, we’d then run the mile and run back to their apartment to grab the car and drive to bubble! Success!
The mile was a lot of fun, there were so many people running down such an iconic NYC street. We did the race together, running a 7 minute mile. The vibes were high after finishing and we even bumped into teammate Ben who was on his way to the GWB.
We jumped into the car and headed to Bubblecross. The forecast all week kept changing but in my mind I had settled on rain setting in for the late afternoon races. How wrong I was. How unprepared I was. After a quick practice lap the rain set in and didn’t let up until my race started. Here I was with the summer white skinsuit and not a spare piece of waterproof kit in sight, sigh.
I had a front row call up and got a great start, settling into 3rd. We were inexplicitly started only 30 seconds behind the masters field so quickly we were dodging and weaving through the field. I wasn’t riding technically great but I was having a lot of fun slipping and sliding. Through the rocky woods I unfortunately hit a few obstacles and my tires must have burped as I felt the pressure continually drop. By the end of lap 3 my front tire went completely flat so I ran to the pits, maybe because I didn’t get enough running in the morning? Because it wasn’t to continue to keep racing as I had no spare bike, wheels or chance that anyone had a 15mm thru axle wheel for me to borrow. Who knows? Anyway not the best first cross race of the season but I did have a fun story and some nice pictures to show for it!
Bubblecross Gallery by Matt
A New York City based cyclist and sometimes photographer. Part adventure rider, part crit racer, and fully obsessed with an English bulldog named Winifred.
Instagram: @photorhetoric
E-mail: matthew@tobedetermined.cc
