9. Finally being done with the season of tough mudders

To the 120-some-odd folks that raced day 1, checked the forecast, and said “no thanks” to another day in the mud – I don’t blame you. Weekly orders of brake pads and bottom brackets is getting expensive. (Rainey Park looks…dry? Am I jinxing us?)

10. The Crew

As with every weekend, I saw a bunch of folks rolling up solo. And of course there are those with RVs, conjoined tents, and BYO power-washers. However you do cross is the right way to do cross, but I love the way the extended NYC community does it. We coordinate rides, AirBnBs and hotels; we show up at the same place for dinner through the magic of Slack; we pit for each other, cheer for each other, heckle each other, take photos of each other; we buy donation beers and we bring good cheer. Special mention to my parents who drove a few of us — welcome to our merry band, if only for the weekend.