5-Mile Pass - Mtn Bike Race #2

We did it and we survived it. We woke up to a down-pour and drove out to 5-Mile Pass in the down-pour. We thought for sure they were going to cancel the race and especially since we saw some cars with bikes on the roof driving in the opposite direction. When we got there, we discovered that it had been delayed an hour and we'd see if the weather would cut us any slack. But they did change the course... they cut it down to 4 miles in stead of the original 11 miles and everyone was only going to do 1 lap. Crazy!

The weather cooperated some and let up on the rain just in time for the race. Lindsey and I figured out there were only 4 total beginner women (our race category) - counting us. So one of us was going to at least get 3rd place! The race started out with a long uphill and Lindsey pulled out ahead of me, but then the course had some short ups and downs and that's when I was able to catch up to Lindsey and passed her. The other two women were ahead of us, but one of them was not that far ahead of us. I'm pretty good on the downhills and apparently better than I thought because by this time the Pros and the Experts and everyone was really beginning to lap and pass me, so I'd hear all these, "on your left" and "on your right" and then it just became a survival game for me to stay out of their way but not die. (Since the weather turned better, everyone was back to their normal number of laps to complete (pros - 4, experts - 3, beginners - 1, etc).) In order to stay out of their way, I'd go off the beaten path some and I'd fly over some HUGE rocks! I survived even though I was pleading I wouldn't die. At one point there were like 7 riders all lined up with flat tires... sure glad that wasn't me.

And then the mud fields. Oh man. The first one was kind of in a downhill so I tried to ride it as long as I could. I'm talking the kind of mud you go mud-wrestling in! Soupy mud. I was sliding all over the place and then I started to tip over, but I unclipped fast enough to catch myself. That's when I noticed nearly everyone else walking their bikes. I liked that idea especially since it would be faster than trying to spin in it. The second mud field was worse. It had to be like 100 yards long. I did actually fall over in it when I tried to ride it, but at least mud is kind of soft. :)

Once through with the mud and onto harder ground, I jumped back on my bike and pedaled like the dickens to finish the race! It was a super crazy, sprint of a race - it even felt short to me - let alone the pros and other people that normally have to do 3 or 4 laps that end up being like a total of 30 or so miles.

Unfortunately, Lindsey had bad mechanical luck for this race. Her chain came off the cassette entirely and since it was so full of mud, she couldn't tell so she had to walk the rest of the race. Bummer, huh?

So.... that means.... I got 3rd place! I figure that will be my only time on the podium so I had to live it up and enjoy it. I got a ribbon and a gift card to Racer's Cycle Shop! Woo hoo!

That mud was like cement. It took me forever to clean off my bike when I got home. Look how full of mud it was!