8.19.2007

em you dee

it's funny, i was just reading a bunch of elite peeps blogs and they talk about how great the race was and i believe them. but i'm sure the comp, sport and citizen racers have a whole different outlook and it has nothing to do with experience.
there was never any doubt in my mind as to whether or not i would race. i was going to race. when it started raining i was almost a bit stoked as the course was so dry it needed some moisture badly. my weakness is loose dirt turns and there were plenty of them.
i was 2nd place until we came out into the open road. my lack of warming up really reared it's ugly head as i felt like i was going backwards. i guess sometimes i forget the importance of warming up. i was cursing myself for not (again).
words can't describe how thick and slick the singletrack was. the trail was just begging for a tire tread to grab hold. a tread i didn't have because i was so indecisive about changing my tires (duh). by the time i thought to change them it was too late and i just had to deal. crossing the field to get to the other side i took a nice fall down one of the drops. i was passing some dude and the trail threw him my way sending me off down the short steep area where there wasn't really a trail. as if i weren't muddy enough.



i think i ran most of the second lap. too muddy, bike was caked, lines of riders, it was craziness, way worse than alterra. i never once thought i wouldn't finish, never even wanted to quit. but thought about how dumb it was that we were out there. thinking about how trashed my bike was. i mean i had weeds wrapped around my hubs, wrapped in my rotors. sticks in my pulleys, some small animal's or bird's home between my bottom bracket and seattube. you couldn't even see my large and small chainring, they looked like discs. i couldn't believe the noises my bike was making. (but it was still all cool and stuff, the orange spokes were still all shiny.)

it was miserable and fun. i mean i was still riding my bike even though it was just a little bit.




i just wished there was a bit more riding and a bit less running. and i'm sure i'll forget (again) to pack my toe spikes for my next WORS race.

i feel bad about all the time and effort put into this course and weekend to have the rain kill it's potential.

i ended up 7th overall and 3rd age.

pics stolen from mg.

7 comments:

The Baron said...

That's the way to cowgirl up and gut out a finish. Nicely done.

Ronsta, said...

Love the attitude- stick it out and have fun! Great job!

The course was actually great during our race, started getting slick in the last lap. Can't imagine the treachery you guys faced a couple hours of rain later.

Bummer for Don as I think everyone was looking forward to a killer weekend.

Anonymous said...

those muddy courses can really bring a racer down, nice going! I hate running during a mountain bike race, definatly feeling everyones pain

MTB Girl said...

Great job!! That was hard. REALLY hard. You're right though.. . . .being on your bike, even pushing the stupid thing around in the mud still is fun. We're hard core, AND we're dumb. But we're good and we love our bikes. :-)

MTB Girl said...

Thanks for the morning laugh too. "Some bird's home stuck between your bottom bracket and seat tube". Funny stuff! TRUE. . . but funny.

Anonymous said...

Great report.

Christine said...

you gals rocked out there! Way to test your mental endurance.