After a week long debate with myself over what class to race, Enduro or Single Speed, I decided on trying my hand at an actual XC type race and not an endurance race. So I entered the SS class. Arrived at the park about 2 hours before the race was due to start and headed down to the registration tent to sign in and all that good stuff. While waiting in line I noticed a somewhat familiar face in line just a few folks back. One Sam Perry or as the locals know him as, SingleandRigid. This made me feel good about my decision to race in the SS class as I knew I was going to have to push myself to my limits to keep him in sight.
I started to come up with a plan of attack. I took a look at how the race loop began which was with a short section of fireroad that looped up and around and then shot us into the woods. Guessing I was the only idiot to run such tall gears, I decided I had to be the first into the woods and then I would just keep the pressure on until I either blew up or they blew did.
Horn went off and I took to the front. Winning the holeshot into the woods I tried to slow my breathing a bit on the first downhill but knew that I could not take it too easy or Sam would be right back on my wheel and that was the last place I wanted him. About a mile and a half in I hear someone approaching fast and calling for my left. I gave it up expecting it to be Sam but it turned out to be a freak of nature. Gushing wind is all I heard and it didn't take long for him to disappear out of sight.
The rest of the first lap went by extremely fast and relatively easy, until about the last mile or so
when I once again caught one of the "invisible" tree stumps with a pedal. Thankfully this time it was just a pedal and not my toe. Wait what am I talking about?! This bull whipped me around to the right and tossed me to side all while goring me in the lil Andys with an
Ergon grip. After the race I started to think it might be a good idea that
Ergon put a disclaimer on the packaging stating something like, "Keep away from scrotum area. Will cause insane amounts of pain if contact is made." OUCH! is all I could say. Wanting to curl up in the woods and cry like a little school girl I got back on the bike and rode gingerly until the pain subsided.
Second lap went by just as fast alright well maybe not time wise as I think I slowed by 2 or 3 minutes but mentally I was alright until I reached into my jersey pocket looking for my flask of
Carb-boom! only to find nothing in my pocket what-so-ever. Damn it must have flown out while I was busy massaging my balls on the Ergon grip. I had seen the third place rider not too far behind me and coming on strong as I crossed the line to finish the second lap and knew I was going to have to start pushing my pace once again.
By this time it became a little harder to do as all the "rabbits" from the other classes had all but disappeared. Deciding that I was not going to get caught, I put my head down and continued to push. Somewhere I grew a sack (maybe it just seemed bigger because it was swollen) and found myself not touching my brakes at all on the downhills and began to find some of those pesky rabbits once again. Having someone in my sights gave me the strength to continue to bridge and not slow down.
With an uneventful third and final lap, I finished in 2ND place just 4 minutes behind first and Sam finishing in 3Rd just a few minutes behind me. I had a great time and want to thank the RunRideRace staff for putting on another great event.
