Arriving at the start, the Giant locals come through with the wheel! I am SO glad & keep bowing to them because I can't say anything they understand. In the back of my mind I know anything could go wrong with a borrowed wheel, but at least I have a chance.
Day #3 is not so intimidating on the elevation chart as Day 1 or 2. Although we climb lots and go from 1200m to 3000m total with some false downs in it, the day is basic up a live volcanoe (Irazu) via some double track and then ongoing forever switchback pavement. It is RAINING. RAIN gets harder and a little cooler as we near the top. Everyone stops to put on jackets, etc. I have a jersey and arm warmers and only pull the arm warmers up on the false downs. At checkpoint 1, I see most all the midpack girls taking a huge rest, I wonder why? I figure to just keep going I feel good so I head up the start of the long road stuff first, just figuring they would all catch up. I get to the top, where the terrain is known to change drastically and only 1 girl in sight. It is windy RAIN, I pocket some sandwiches, lube a little, and tear off for what I know is going to be a super bumpy slick rock long descent. The volunteers all attempt to hold me up for several moments, claiming it will get colder on the descent and I NEED my jacket on. Finally I get across to them that I have one in my pack, but if it is not colder than now I don't need it. Finally they get it and let me continue! It's like freakin 55. Down the other side of the volcanoe is all old volcanoe rocks everywhere, yet it is like a road to them here. It's wide, the rocks are big and covered in mud but you can really pick a line and just keep bumping downward. I get 'out of control' fast & just keep bouncing along, don't see any girls the entire time and pass a lot of guys walking. I almost collide with freerange cattle, horses, and chickens. I hit the bottom checkpoint thanking god for no flats or chain issues & onto the continuing descent to town on fast smooth wet pavement. The RAIN is so hard I can barely see but keep going. I finish ok this day and this was a super fun day!
This day ends in a country club, JP is there all cleaned up & helped me get everything done and ready for the shuttle on time back to our inner city mountain town hotel. It is still POURING RAIN. Once again, we prepare our damp duffle bag items for the next & final day.
Monday, December 7, 2009
La Ruta Day #2
This day is shorter than day #1 and does not have the mud mess, so the start gets to be at 6AM, yippee! Roll out right from the hotel sitting in town at 850m & STRAIGHT UP until we reach 1800m, within 10km. Nasty stuff. Some was smooth, some was not. There were portions I had to walk but I rode all that I could, I'd say a good portion of it. At last check my garmin was reading ~37-39ish grades & that was not the steepest, but the garmin didn't catch it all. This put us up in some country farm areas as we started to descend on country roads, some very steep roads down(!), in which the people were really cool. As you pass by small schools, children walking to school/playing, and farm workers, everyone cheered in spanish. I don't know what they were saying but it sounded nice, and it was like having your own little tour de france ride! Some kids had out hoses to squirt you when it was hot.
The second big climb hit long paved switchbacks to 1800m again, it was humid HOT, I got passed a lot here as I was tiring out and trying to take some pressure off what were becoming sore feet. At the top I took a few kodak moments and savored the valley views which were so lush green and peaceful. Hard to believe they are also some cow pastures? weird. So my mileage says the end is within an hour, I am ok that a few more girls passed me & are now barreling down the road/gravel descent, I know there won't be THAT much time between our finishes. Then my first disaster, suddenly I come to a intersection with NO COURSE MARKINGS!!!! oh no, so far the course has been marked very well so I know right away I missed something yet I refused to believe it. I go a little further, I continue to second guess my decision to turn around and waste some time. Eventually, after what I find out later is about 6 miles off course, I high tail back desperate to find the turn I somehow missed. I am frustrated as I check my time, I have 3 hours till cutoff but I am not sure where I am and what the last climb could be like. Then disaster two strikes, I feel gears slipping and within minutes I got nothin. Rear hub has died. The vision flashes before me that I am not going to finish on time today, and not make the official finishers list. My eyes start to well up. With all the preparation, how could THIS happen?? WHY did it happen?? HOW could I miss a turn that other people found, and my hub temporary miracle fix no longer works. This is not meant to be, everyone was right, this trip was a dumb idea! I am just about ready to burst into tears when I look up and see the missed turn!!! Suddenly it's all better! I figure it's about 5 miles from here to walk and I have 2 hours to make it so off I go walk/running/fred flinstoning it as fast as I could. A motorcycle support guy goes past a few times, he thinks I am just walking from being tired & I just give him the thumbs up and he takes off. About an hour later I reach a town, and figure about 2 miles to go, he comes by again. This time I realize I know him, (he is Roberto Haras' rico suave spanish support friend & helped JP with mechanicals on day 1) he asks more questions, then insists he get me to the finish line rather than walk. I refuse the offer kindly as I DO NOT want a DNF, he looked sad, as he is a formor world champion moto guy from the 80s & is here lovin' scooting around rescuing lives during the race! He grudingly says 'have it your way' and revs away. 10 minutes later he is back, he has news for me. He told the organizers what happened & where I am, they said it's a bad section to walk in alone and he can tow me in and I will not get a DNF, I will have legitimate finish. (The rules state is you ignore organizers direction for sag, you will get DNF) So ok, I get ready for a 5mph tow, but that is not what he had in mind. He slaps his hand on my back and revs it up, flying through tight city streets & corners where stops are optional for everyone and passing can occur in oncoming lanes, we weave in and out for 2 miles at 40kph!!! I hit the finish line that fast! whew, that was fun in a sick sort of way:-)
So, I know it's late, and today's set up is to get shuttled to a hotel from the finish. Dinner, shower, mechanics are here and everything will shut down very soon for the night and the last shuttles will leave. This leaves little time for figuring out what I can do, if anything, about my bike. We did not pack extra wheels/hubs. I frantically start eyeing the clearing out lot for JP. He is nowhere. I Spanglish the best I can to the mechanics and they start to tear my bike apart. I grab some grub while still rushing about, finally I find out JP had seen I didn't come in at a time he expected and all the other girls did so he got over worried & is out on the course with a ride looking for me. They have radioed to tell them I am back, but it seems to take forever until they get back. I fill him in, we get our options, and rico suave offers to be a translator and the local Giant Demo guys end up saying they can get me a loaner wheel to use it will be there in the morning. I cross my fingers as I head to the shuttle. It is pouring RAIN.
This has been a stressful day, I lost over 2 hours time & feeling emotional blah because there is nothing I can do to guarantee even my start the next day & it makes me very uneasy. I did find some comfort in that Tinker & others missed the same turn, he got off course far enough that he decided to bail on an official finish. Shuttle to a trendy city hotel suite, get a young tico-turned-american roommate, have major difficulties getting checked in, hang in the restaurant iwth racers, & prepare all our damp duffle bag items for Day #3.
The second big climb hit long paved switchbacks to 1800m again, it was humid HOT, I got passed a lot here as I was tiring out and trying to take some pressure off what were becoming sore feet. At the top I took a few kodak moments and savored the valley views which were so lush green and peaceful. Hard to believe they are also some cow pastures? weird. So my mileage says the end is within an hour, I am ok that a few more girls passed me & are now barreling down the road/gravel descent, I know there won't be THAT much time between our finishes. Then my first disaster, suddenly I come to a intersection with NO COURSE MARKINGS!!!! oh no, so far the course has been marked very well so I know right away I missed something yet I refused to believe it. I go a little further, I continue to second guess my decision to turn around and waste some time. Eventually, after what I find out later is about 6 miles off course, I high tail back desperate to find the turn I somehow missed. I am frustrated as I check my time, I have 3 hours till cutoff but I am not sure where I am and what the last climb could be like. Then disaster two strikes, I feel gears slipping and within minutes I got nothin. Rear hub has died. The vision flashes before me that I am not going to finish on time today, and not make the official finishers list. My eyes start to well up. With all the preparation, how could THIS happen?? WHY did it happen?? HOW could I miss a turn that other people found, and my hub temporary miracle fix no longer works. This is not meant to be, everyone was right, this trip was a dumb idea! I am just about ready to burst into tears when I look up and see the missed turn!!! Suddenly it's all better! I figure it's about 5 miles from here to walk and I have 2 hours to make it so off I go walk/running/fred flinstoning it as fast as I could. A motorcycle support guy goes past a few times, he thinks I am just walking from being tired & I just give him the thumbs up and he takes off. About an hour later I reach a town, and figure about 2 miles to go, he comes by again. This time I realize I know him, (he is Roberto Haras' rico suave spanish support friend & helped JP with mechanicals on day 1) he asks more questions, then insists he get me to the finish line rather than walk. I refuse the offer kindly as I DO NOT want a DNF, he looked sad, as he is a formor world champion moto guy from the 80s & is here lovin' scooting around rescuing lives during the race! He grudingly says 'have it your way' and revs away. 10 minutes later he is back, he has news for me. He told the organizers what happened & where I am, they said it's a bad section to walk in alone and he can tow me in and I will not get a DNF, I will have legitimate finish. (The rules state is you ignore organizers direction for sag, you will get DNF) So ok, I get ready for a 5mph tow, but that is not what he had in mind. He slaps his hand on my back and revs it up, flying through tight city streets & corners where stops are optional for everyone and passing can occur in oncoming lanes, we weave in and out for 2 miles at 40kph!!! I hit the finish line that fast! whew, that was fun in a sick sort of way:-)
So, I know it's late, and today's set up is to get shuttled to a hotel from the finish. Dinner, shower, mechanics are here and everything will shut down very soon for the night and the last shuttles will leave. This leaves little time for figuring out what I can do, if anything, about my bike. We did not pack extra wheels/hubs. I frantically start eyeing the clearing out lot for JP. He is nowhere. I Spanglish the best I can to the mechanics and they start to tear my bike apart. I grab some grub while still rushing about, finally I find out JP had seen I didn't come in at a time he expected and all the other girls did so he got over worried & is out on the course with a ride looking for me. They have radioed to tell them I am back, but it seems to take forever until they get back. I fill him in, we get our options, and rico suave offers to be a translator and the local Giant Demo guys end up saying they can get me a loaner wheel to use it will be there in the morning. I cross my fingers as I head to the shuttle. It is pouring RAIN.
This has been a stressful day, I lost over 2 hours time & feeling emotional blah because there is nothing I can do to guarantee even my start the next day & it makes me very uneasy. I did find some comfort in that Tinker & others missed the same turn, he got off course far enough that he decided to bail on an official finish. Shuttle to a trendy city hotel suite, get a young tico-turned-american roommate, have major difficulties getting checked in, hang in the restaurant iwth racers, & prepare all our damp duffle bag items for Day #3.
La Ruta Day #1
JP and I have been 'getting ready' all summer for our chosen big bike adventure, La Ruta in Costa Rica. You'd think we would be organized and ready to go, but it's never that easy for us! So we start the trip off with me misreading our flight departure time, forgetting my license at home, and hitting the airport just in time to RUN for our first plane. whew, that was close, we proved that you CAN get from check-in to plane in about 14 minutes.
We leave a few days earlier than needed due to most likely not all luggage will be on time and this is the case. So after a long day of flights & shuttles, I end up stuck with no bike & no clothes for two days. At least it's warm & we are on Jaco beach, the hotel also has some really crappy free bikes you can take so that is about all we could do. We explored what we could on them.
We leave a few days earlier than needed due to most likely not all luggage will be on time and this is the case. So after a long day of flights & shuttles, I end up stuck with no bike & no clothes for two days. At least it's warm & we are on Jaco beach, the hotel also has some really crappy free bikes you can take so that is about all we could do. We explored what we could on them.
(riding along Jaco Beach area)
Having an extra day to relax, we decide to check out the jungle on a suspended bridge hike. We figure it's a short drive, main highway, let's just rent a economy car (fiesta like). We know we were told by lots of friends the roads require 4-wheel drive to get anywhere but seriously we were only going up the road 20 minutes! Anyhow, you can imagine what happens next, one turn off the highway to the destination and we are four-wheeling on extreme mountain roads & across waterfall runoffs in a Fiesta!! I even got out at one point to not be directly involved in any damage! So once we reach the spot, of course the pouring RAIN starts, the park people tell us it's REALLY DANGEROUS to venture out on a hike NOW that mudslides occur, etc, etc. I ask...'could we die?' they say '....yes.' hhmm, I blurt out 'then yep, we are still going!' So they drop us off at the entrance, warn us they are NOT responsible for us & lock the gate behind us, and we venture along. About 6 bridges to cross, kind of scary being so high but JP the naturalist is able to spot a toucan since we are up in the trees at times. The trail quickly turns to a gushing river & popping around in the water I see little flourescent treefrogs, my favorite and what I wanted to see! We observe them closely......but do not touch or lick. We manage to get the Fiesta back without apparant damage:-)
(eating lunch outside in the jungle restaurant during a RAINFOREST RAIN)
So the day before the race start, the place is crowding with riders & the race meeting is on. We get lots of information, and are quickly introduced to Spanglish, the conversation method we will hear & get a little tired of for the next 10 days. Every communication takes three times as long & everything is printed twice. Before we start meeting & greeting my bike is here, some damaged needs repaired & we head out with others to check out the prologue to the first climb before the afternoon RAIN begins.
(checking out the prologue start)
Race Day #1
The rumor is day #1 is SO hard & that if you can finish it, the other days will seem easy. To be fair and make sure everyone has a chance this day, it is necessary to start at 5AM. Freak. Stuff all your belongings for the next 4 days into a duffle bag, throw the rest of your luggage into storage for the week, and we are off totally dependant on the race organizers to come though for us. This day is good for me, after a ton of gravel climbing & some nasty downhilling in some huge rutted out packed trails, we get to the famous mud crap miles in the jungle and it starts to RAIN. When we hit it I LOVE it, I am ready to hike-a-bike all day if I have to! Everyone is whining & people start to slow down as they get frustrated with bikes packing, weighing a lot, etc. Thick mud at some points is over my knees and rocks are in it so footing is careful. I have carried my bike from the mud start so it never gets too heavy & when I do coast a few down hills I can hear the river crossing at the bottom so know I can rinse & lube which I do at every crossing. A few are deeper with fast current but not too hard. Finally out of the jungle, I am excited for more. But the excitement fades quick as I find out we are in for a 20 mile ROAD climb, followed by some extra gravel climbing to the end. Agh, about 1/2 up this all the peeps that hated the mud start to catch up to me and they like the road! Bummer. Anyhow, I finish this day with an ok time and nothing was too much of a pain in the butt, I didn't feel over pressured to meet the check point times, even without having a race pace for any long areas. This day is finished by rolling right into the night's hotel, sweet set up with dinner & bike cleaning waiting. JP is there all cleaned up and helps me get settled in & we get our stuff ready for Day 2. Unfortunately, he did not have such a geat time, with chain issues early on and the realization that in packing somehow part of his chain tool was missing, it took him some extra time to get going again after lots of walking. Once back, he got rooked on the price of a badly needed new chain:-(
We both had packed a little more than planned for this day, still skimpy, but not knowing how the stations would be a little more was safer. Now we know, so we both pack a little skimpier for Day 2. There was enough food, drinks, mechanical help, bike wash, etc at the stations. You really just needed to have stuff for about 15-20 miles on the trail with you and bike know-how.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
MOM 2009-Raccoon CX + Tandem CX!
MOM is the local series you just gotta support by doing a few races. These races makes me think about how the scene really changes over the years. When I started, Diane Blackburn was done racing, but Beth DeSanzo & Abby J-Platt were always up front duking it out.....women were all Open, which I did not mind at all. If anything, it taught me how much better I needed to try to get if I wanted to catch up to those two! The first few years I got a little closer to them, at least sometimes around some of the other mid-pack girls (Paula, Maggie, Mary), but never fast enough to catch those two! I do miss them at races, not only were they good racers, but also good sports & tons of nice karma all around! I wish Beth is doing well since injury earlier this year & I know Abby is out enjoying the outdoors just not on the course:-) But now there are new girls on the scene, and with some riding under their belt & some souped up new technology bikes they are so excited about racing and it shows as they are doing great and giving it all they got, nice job to Ryanne & Becky this year!
The second race in the series is what everyone calls the dreaded cyclocross, yet SO many people show up! This year's race had more juniors alone than I have ever seen in one race....16!!!
Just doing the Rattlesnake the day before, I was not sure about this race but decided to force myself to put in some fastness. I don't have a cross bike so JP rigs up my carbon Trek 26er to a 69er, with some thicker tread cross tires. This bike is light, but didn't realize the tires were really not the right choice this day. These tires held to nothing on the slick mud & I biffed it 3 times before almost giving up! I also felt super crappy trying to hold a faster pace, esp running up the steps. Shortly into the race, I realized this, and thought I am in no shape to battle & I do not want to cause a wreck so I backed off and just rode it out the best I could without wrecking again! Good 50 minute workout! JP has a good day after also a good day in Saturday race, he is currently 1st place in SS for the MOM series!!
Right afterwards, the new TanDUMB CX challenge was up. Now, Gunnar & Betsy have got this new fancy schmancy cx tandem, all shiny & they have been testing it out for this. They somehow talk us into trying it only one day before. So this morning, as we rushed out of the house, we strapped our old beaten up, often neglected MTB tandem with big knobby tires (ie: the Red Sled) to the bike rack. What the heck are we thinking we thought to ourselves? We have never raced this thing, and have never even thought about how we are going to get through a cx course on it! Oh well, we look at it as basically a fun thing to try out and give Gunnar & Betsy maybe at least some sort of competition, although quite frankly, we obviously expect to get our butts kicked!
them hot on our tail! our barrier skills! (photos: JMatta)
So, we quickly do some initial attempts at barriers, having no clue what to do but that's all we had time to try. The staggered start is great we have the course for just us two initially. Smack, our timing chain pops off right at the start. Shoot, that has never happened before, we scramble to get it back on (poorly misaligning the pedals!), while the Shogrens graciously hold up about 100 yards ahead for our sorry butts! How nice:-) Wow, I think, we have NO idea what else is going to happen on trying to go fast on this bike! Get going again and suprisingly as we hit the first muddy section, we get through fairly easy & we see they have a little issue with slipping. As it gets worse for them on the bends, they quickly compromise for this by Bunny using her quick dismount/mount skills to get off and run instead. Plus, they kick it on the barriers, FAST! I am really worried they can run it out faster than we can ride (!), but it seems each muddy turn keeps us upright and gives a few seconds edge until at one point in a grass straightaway, we take a pass. Continuing to gain a few seconds on each muddy turn, I think we did 5 laps(?) and come in just seconds to the finish before them! It was a super exciting race to try this the first time. Thanks to everyone that took all the pics and cheered for the race! I think we have also sparked some extra comp to come out, as rumor has it the TANDUMB CX showdown will have a total of SIX wheels this sunday at Grove City!!!! I also hear Gunnar is up to no good and trying to switch up bike parts for improved traction!!
Nice job to everyone at this fun course and thanks to organizers and of course GBywaters. Thanks for letting us all try to the tandem too, even though it was technically not on the roster!
Full Results: http://monthofmud.org/
A few other mentions:
-First year racer Josh Matta also did BOTH the Rattlesnake AND today's expert cross! Huge effort!
-Ryanne and Becky schooled me on MTBs today! WTG!
The second race in the series is what everyone calls the dreaded cyclocross, yet SO many people show up! This year's race had more juniors alone than I have ever seen in one race....16!!!
Just doing the Rattlesnake the day before, I was not sure about this race but decided to force myself to put in some fastness. I don't have a cross bike so JP rigs up my carbon Trek 26er to a 69er, with some thicker tread cross tires. This bike is light, but didn't realize the tires were really not the right choice this day. These tires held to nothing on the slick mud & I biffed it 3 times before almost giving up! I also felt super crappy trying to hold a faster pace, esp running up the steps. Shortly into the race, I realized this, and thought I am in no shape to battle & I do not want to cause a wreck so I backed off and just rode it out the best I could without wrecking again! Good 50 minute workout! JP has a good day after also a good day in Saturday race, he is currently 1st place in SS for the MOM series!!
Right afterwards, the new TanDUMB CX challenge was up. Now, Gunnar & Betsy have got this new fancy schmancy cx tandem, all shiny & they have been testing it out for this. They somehow talk us into trying it only one day before. So this morning, as we rushed out of the house, we strapped our old beaten up, often neglected MTB tandem with big knobby tires (ie: the Red Sled) to the bike rack. What the heck are we thinking we thought to ourselves? We have never raced this thing, and have never even thought about how we are going to get through a cx course on it! Oh well, we look at it as basically a fun thing to try out and give Gunnar & Betsy maybe at least some sort of competition, although quite frankly, we obviously expect to get our butts kicked!
them hot on our tail! our barrier skills! (photos: JMatta)
So, we quickly do some initial attempts at barriers, having no clue what to do but that's all we had time to try. The staggered start is great we have the course for just us two initially. Smack, our timing chain pops off right at the start. Shoot, that has never happened before, we scramble to get it back on (poorly misaligning the pedals!), while the Shogrens graciously hold up about 100 yards ahead for our sorry butts! How nice:-) Wow, I think, we have NO idea what else is going to happen on trying to go fast on this bike! Get going again and suprisingly as we hit the first muddy section, we get through fairly easy & we see they have a little issue with slipping. As it gets worse for them on the bends, they quickly compromise for this by Bunny using her quick dismount/mount skills to get off and run instead. Plus, they kick it on the barriers, FAST! I am really worried they can run it out faster than we can ride (!), but it seems each muddy turn keeps us upright and gives a few seconds edge until at one point in a grass straightaway, we take a pass. Continuing to gain a few seconds on each muddy turn, I think we did 5 laps(?) and come in just seconds to the finish before them! It was a super exciting race to try this the first time. Thanks to everyone that took all the pics and cheered for the race! I think we have also sparked some extra comp to come out, as rumor has it the TANDUMB CX showdown will have a total of SIX wheels this sunday at Grove City!!!! I also hear Gunnar is up to no good and trying to switch up bike parts for improved traction!!
Nice job to everyone at this fun course and thanks to organizers and of course GBywaters. Thanks for letting us all try to the tandem too, even though it was technically not on the roster!
Full Results: http://monthofmud.org/
A few other mentions:
-First year racer Josh Matta also did BOTH the Rattlesnake AND today's expert cross! Huge effort!
-Ryanne and Becky schooled me on MTBs today! WTG!
Saturday, September 19, 2009
2009 Peanut Butter Festival MTB
I cannot tell a lie....I LOVE the annual Smucker's Peanut Butter Festival, New Bethlehem PA.
We have been to this every year since 2002, it was my first MTB Race date ever with JPOK, only my 2nd XC race ever, & my first experience of making a wrong turn! This race has had a slew of girls show up, including Tiff Kenny who holds the course record. So depending on the crowd, I've always managed to snag an overall 1st-3rd spot. This year the race was the third/last in the new Bike the Wilds Series too!
The race is in conjunction with a community festival, a 5K, and a parade, so good food is around, along with some cool craft sales to get your holiday shopping started, and of course Peanut Butter is available by the case!!! 18 miles of varied terrain await, most on private property which is really nice, and a few piles of cow chips!
This year as we line up, it's just myself, Nina W. (who is super duper training this year & not to be taken lightly), and XXXXXX. I know Nina is tough, and XXXXX is on a SS. SS can only mean two things, either super fast or not so fast. I am worried.
The road strech is better than previous years, thins us out a little. I really want to keep behind XXXX to see pace, but with the SS that won't work out. I have NO idea where Nina is at, but I get in a jumble at the first bottleneck and find myself cursing under my breath. I struggle a little to get going in the BMX course area, but then finally get a rhythm after that and feel better. Not until the first big climb ~30 min in do I see Nina ahead of me walking up the power line. I struggle to catch her & decide to pass. She catches me on the next downhill, and we enter some new singletrack together, something catches her pedal and I get a chance to get out of her sight. Now, for the rest of the day I see no signs of XXXX, I know she is behind me but never know how far. I plug thru some wet sections, and hit the final few miles and play cat and mouse with a friend who is setting a good pace, Spencer Clark, until he eventually pulls away, but it helped me to keep moving that last bit.
I come in first, followed only minutes by Nina, and XXXX is just XX minutes back.
Justin also had a good day, as he not only won, but he also set the new course record!!! He was happy about that.
Awards here are fun, on the stage and everyone gets their trophy/prizes, pictures taken, and the local paper is here to write a story too. I definitely always recommend the event to new racers or experienced!
Bike the Wilds: Nina gets first with 3 races completed, I get second due to 2 races completed.
See full results: XXXXXXX
We have been to this every year since 2002, it was my first MTB Race date ever with JPOK, only my 2nd XC race ever, & my first experience of making a wrong turn! This race has had a slew of girls show up, including Tiff Kenny who holds the course record. So depending on the crowd, I've always managed to snag an overall 1st-3rd spot. This year the race was the third/last in the new Bike the Wilds Series too!
The race is in conjunction with a community festival, a 5K, and a parade, so good food is around, along with some cool craft sales to get your holiday shopping started, and of course Peanut Butter is available by the case!!! 18 miles of varied terrain await, most on private property which is really nice, and a few piles of cow chips!
This year as we line up, it's just myself, Nina W. (who is super duper training this year & not to be taken lightly), and XXXXXX. I know Nina is tough, and XXXXX is on a SS. SS can only mean two things, either super fast or not so fast. I am worried.
The road strech is better than previous years, thins us out a little. I really want to keep behind XXXX to see pace, but with the SS that won't work out. I have NO idea where Nina is at, but I get in a jumble at the first bottleneck and find myself cursing under my breath. I struggle a little to get going in the BMX course area, but then finally get a rhythm after that and feel better. Not until the first big climb ~30 min in do I see Nina ahead of me walking up the power line. I struggle to catch her & decide to pass. She catches me on the next downhill, and we enter some new singletrack together, something catches her pedal and I get a chance to get out of her sight. Now, for the rest of the day I see no signs of XXXX, I know she is behind me but never know how far. I plug thru some wet sections, and hit the final few miles and play cat and mouse with a friend who is setting a good pace, Spencer Clark, until he eventually pulls away, but it helped me to keep moving that last bit.
I come in first, followed only minutes by Nina, and XXXX is just XX minutes back.
Justin also had a good day, as he not only won, but he also set the new course record!!! He was happy about that.
Awards here are fun, on the stage and everyone gets their trophy/prizes, pictures taken, and the local paper is here to write a story too. I definitely always recommend the event to new racers or experienced!
Bike the Wilds: Nina gets first with 3 races completed, I get second due to 2 races completed.
See full results: XXXXXXX
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