E for effort

pic courtesy of AMY D

Pic courtesy of Ty

A busy week before the race so I really had no expectations. I pre-road the "newly designed" course only once and found backwards O'Mally's woods and Kevin's Heaven to be the toughest to slither through. Before the start, I did a few practice drills on a small hill and decided to lock out the rear shock for the climbs. When will I ever learn? Sure it's great for climbing but oh how I forget after a few laps of jarring what it does to my back, GRRRRR. So I finally nail it at the start and get on the train out on the cap. The train seemed slow but then broke up as speeds increase. I sat on Sarah's wheel for a bit and then got restless knowing the single track was two corners away. I was feeling great, passed a girl or two and entered the woods in good position just behind a few others. My heart rate dropped and I thought real hard about the next four laps and my strategy.

pic courtesy of the GOAT

Nothing spectacular just efficient climbing I think. It was so fricken hot in the sun but who's complaining it's better then mud. Did anyone feel that cool breeze out there? I have no idea how you peeps ride a single speed. Those climbs dehydrated me so much I did not pee for a day.

pic courtesy of NACHOBAR

Feeling great going into the third lap.

pic courtesy of Rusty

Having fun on the descents which are my favorite.

Still in shock that I was even that close to Martha in this race and even a head of her for a few laps. The two of us went back and forth on the second half of the third lap going into the fourth. I was only within seconds of her at the finish and that is a mile stone for me since she used to kick ass in Sport and smoke me and most of the other girls for many years.

Thank You Deanna for the water hand-ups and Amy D for the sweet cooler, Colleen For the nice cold water splashes and all the other peeps who helped cooled all of us racers off. That squirt gun idea was brilliant:)