So last Wednesday, I raced for the first time ever. It was really fun, a little stressful at the beginning. I didn’t have enough sleep, I worked 42 hours Monday to Wednesday at 4pm. I didn’t have enough food that day either.
First mile – I was stuck in the pack, didn’t feel like I could let up without getting run over
Second mile – pack thinned out, started with my pace
Third – realization that this Dart II fork sucks ass
Fourth – maintaining pace ok
Fifth – can see the start/finish line….one more lap, feeling loose and energetic
Sixth – left calf cramp….pedaled with one leg for a bit
Seventh – passed a couple guys
Eighth, Nineth – lower back is taking a beating from the HT and the craptastic fork
Tenth – Right calf cramp….
Finish – relief from all the stress of my job and finishing and knowing that I did my best.
Me: 5′-8", 215 pounds (down 30# from the previous year)
Bike: 30# Kona HT with Dart II (I changed it out for my Tora U-Turn from another bike on Friday) (WTB Velociraptor front, Maxxis High Roller rear)
I did ~11 miles in 1:10:08 I guess. Which seemed ok for me.
Video from one of the faster guys….points if you spot the Vintage Klein.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXjFnmWZXFk
How the hell do these guys go so fast uphill? I’ve been training on hills for awhile it seems and I can’t seem to get much faster. I’ve tried fast spinning in a lower gear, mashing a tall gear, in between…..I dunno, just am not getting faster.
I have another race tomorrow….I can’t freakin wait!!
Enjoyed reading your post & watching your video–looked like they were going at a pretty fast clip! Congrats on your weight loss. I’ve been thinking of racing short track XC. I used to race on the road and track–mountain biking is new to me. Where was this race and what race are you doing next?