Whew, it's hard to believe this
race isn't even half over. I feel like I've already gone through most
of the highs and lows I typically hit over the course of a full
season – just compressed into a few days. There was the nervous,
almost giddy feeling before the 15 mile prolog we did on Sunday. It's
always fun to see how you stack up. To be honest, I was hoping I
would do a bit better, but that's the trouble with results oriented
goals. Turns out, the field that showed here is fast, and deep. More
like a national-class race that I was expecting, at least in terms of
the competitiveness. I did get to rally a rode section with Justin
Lindine though, that was fun. Of course, I was going a bit deeper
than he was, and as soon as we got to the woods again he dropped me
like a rock, but it was a thrill nonetheless.
Stage 2 was straight up vicious. For
sure the hardest 40 mile race I've done on a mountain bike, and I
don't think I'm alone in claiming that. It started with a hectic road
start, guys were taking all kinds of risks battling for position –
to be honest that was the scariest part of the day. Once we hit the
trails though it spread out pretty quick, with me going backwards
from the lead group. I'd feel shattered, then I'd rally, then I'd
feel terrible, back and forth all day. I felt like I was on the verge
of catastrophic cramps for much of the day, but somehow they never
set in. By the end I was shattered, but I'd taken some time back on
some folks who were ahead of me in Stage 1, and I felt pretty solid
about the day.
Day 3, man was I happy it was Enduro
day! To be honest I felt like absolute garbage when I got on my bike
in the parking lot, but as we spun easy up the first climb I started
to come around. And the descents were fun! I got into a great little
group with Greg Jancaitus, Chris Cyr, and John Burns, wich helped
make the day seem fast too. Stages 1 and 2 were pretty XC-ish and
peddley. But overall they felt good and smooth. Stage 3 was scary
fast, and awesome. Straight down the fall line at a million miles an
hour on a 2 foot wide trail with rocks and sticks poking out from the
bushes on the sides – sketchy. I let it rip on that one, and
probably had my best stage of the day there. Stage 4 was the one
everybody was talking about, with a big, knarly rock garden at the
bottom. And it was big, and knarly, but it was also pretty much point
and shoot. Mostly a whole lot of fun. Stage 5 was sweet too, with
some really high speed rocks up high. Unfortunately, I let it go a
bit too much there and got a front flat about halfway through the
stage. I was able to ride most of the remainder, but obviously at a
much slower pace. Bummer. I think I had a chance at top 10 on the day
before the flat, but that's the nature of opening it up and taking
risks – eventually it's going to bite you. I paid for that a bit,
but it was too much fun going fast not too.
Today we hit the road stage, which
still had some pretty good singletrack in it, including the infamous
Fisherman's Trail, which was pretty much a flat, greasy hike-a-bike
today. I was really hoping to sit in with a group on the extended
road sections, but it wasn't to be. Instead it was lots of solo
riding and the realization that I really only have one speed at my
disposal at this point in the week. It's hard to go any pace other
than steady and sort of fast. But, I was pretty happy with the
result, and most importantly, I didn't feel blown at the end. Three
days to go!