Up at six a.m. to
feed the pets, I started having second thoughts. After a stretch of warm weather here lately,
I woke up to below freezing temps. I
really just wanted to crawl back in bed.
I didn’t though, and after loading up my stuff I hit the road. It was cold.
Brrrr
As I headed E/NE
away from Charlotte,
I saw the temps drop down to 22 degrees at one point. Resiting the urge to turn around, I starting
thinking about what I would wear during the race. I knew that I would warm up quickly, and with
a little over two hours of driving time I had plenty of time to go over
everything. As I got closer, I started
to get nervous. I hadn’t “competed” in
XC in about three years, although I did race in one last year just for
fun. I told my nerves to shut up, and
suddenly I was in the parking lot.
I walked up to the
registration area, grabbed my number plate, and started getting dressed. I ended up with a light DeFeet
base payer, arm warmers, knee warmers, and my really cool new Trail Ninja
socks…
I was pretty
chilly, but spinning around the parking lot and up and down a big hill started
warming me up pretty good. Soon, it was
time to line up. That’s when the nerves
really got to me. I looked around at my
competition and wondered why I was there.
I got that negative shit out of my head and started going over my plan…
“Don’t get caught
up racing. Put in a good first effort,
settle in, and don’t worry about chasing anyone down.”
When it was our
turn to start, we sprinted up a big, steep hill. With only one gear, I had no choice but to
fly up it until I could find a spinny pace.
While I was doing that, I realized that I was out in front. Shit.
I didn’t mean to do it, but it worked out that way. Suddenly, as the hill crested, one guy
shifted into a bigger gear and flew by.”
“Don’t chase him
down. You can get him later.”
I didn’t listen to
myself and immediately took off after him.
The road leveled out and I was spinning my ass off. With my heart rate through the roof, I
entered the woods first, with second place (and everyone else) right behind
me. I knew I was gonna blow up after
that effort, so I kept pedaling and waited for the inevitable. I was still working hard, and building a
small gap.
Suddenly, I felt
really good.
My heart rate
slowed down, my breathing evened out, and I felt like I had a ton of
energy. I put the hammer down, and after
each switchback climb I could see that I was pulling away from the group. Entering the first technical section, I
cleaned it and added even more of a time cushion.
I knew that I
couldn’t keep that effort up. The crash
was coming, and I started to worry about when it would. So, I just pedaled harder, figuring that I
would use what I had while I had it. The
funny thing was, the harder I worked, the quicker I recovered. I cleaned a few more rocky sections, mashed
up some climbs, and sprinted away on the flat, twisty sections. I saw no one from my class, but I was passing
others that started ahead of me.
Who the hell was
I? Why wasn’t I dying out there? I was working hard, and feeling better as the
day went on. After finishing that first
lap, I felt even better. I concentrated
on building a bigger gap, and trying to be careful as I rode my rigid bike over
some of those nasty rocks. About halfway
through the second lap I started to worry.
Did I take a wrong turn? Am I now
in last place? Why the hell am I feeling
so good?
Who gives a
shit. Keep riding.
Up the last big set
of climbs (Charlie’s Mountain I think) I was hammering knowing that I was
almost done. That leads to the Mega Jump
section, which is like a cross between Warrior Creek and a big ass pump
track. I flew through there, hit the
jumps and even doubling a few. I was on
the home stretch, and before I knew it I was at the finish line. I was confused, so I asked the race officials
where I placed.
“First.”
I was shocked. Really.
I know I’ve been working a little bit on my fitness, but I didn’t really
expect to win or even get on a podium this season. But I did.
After a day of
working hard and getting the shit beat outta me by rocks, I took home a pretty
cool rock of my own.
And I won a
Maxxis Ikon. Rad.
This was my third
race there. The first two back in 2011
and 2012, I got third place (and smaller rocks.) It’s been a while since I’ve
been on a podium, and honestly this one felt pretty damn good. I worked hard, rode smart, and walked away
feeling pretty good. What a way to start
the season.
I dunno. Maybe it’s a fluke. I got lucky.
Whatever.
Who gives shit.
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