CBR Mtb Season opens atop the Podium

March - 2007


Arrowhead Trail – Macon, Georgia
Reported by Nicki Sutherland

The GSC (Georgia State Championship) got started this weekend at Arrowhead Park, GA (near Macon). I guess the temperature this morning was payback for last years record heat. We arrived at the park to a whopping 35 degrees! I don't know if it was the nerves or the pre-warm up on the trainer, but somehow it seemed to be quite bearable by the time we actually started the race.

This is definitely one of the harder courses we race all season, and the cold air did not help the initial race burn and pain. I kept reminding myself to relax and breathe slower, but my anxiety for needing more oxygen always overcomes. I got a good start and tried to put good distance between me and the girl in 2nd. It's always better to have that buffer because by the 2nd and 3rd laps the legs aren't always as co-operative to "keep turning the cranks", and I tend to slow down (or have to deal with cramps which seems to be the thing for me lately!).

My heart sank for Jose as I came around a turn to see him off to the side, bike upside down. He had broken his chain! I always hate seeing a rider on the side but especially so if it's your buddy. I was pleased to see him fixing it though and hopefully, he would be catching up to me soon and passing me. I could attempt to at least stay with him, even if only for 2 seconds ;) As we started the 2nd lap, he had caught up and we both struggled to get passed another rider for a while (the longest I would ever ride behind Jose in a race). Finally the guy moved over and we were able to pass. I didn't see Jose again! =) Obviously, 3 weeks off the bike in China didn't hurt him that much! ;)

Going into the 3rd lap, the cramping started setting in. I managed to back off the pace just enough to ward off the cramps, finish up the last of the climbs and roll into the finish, thankful that it was an uneventful race, re: mechanicals, cramping, crashing, etc.

RESULTS
Ursula Sandefer - Women's Pro/Expert Class - 1st (I want to be like Ursula when I grow up!!!)
Jose Mendez - Men's Sport 30+ - 18th (excellent I think after 3 weeks off the bike and having to fix a chain)
Nicki Sutherland (that would be me) - Women's Sport 30+ - 1st (does the pain ever go away?)
Gabe Denes Jr. - Boys Beginner Junior (15-18) - 4th (and he wasn't even looking that miserable at the end, so I told him he obviously wasn't riding hard enough! =)...)
Gabriel Mendez - Kids (6-10) - 1st (boy was he moving that bike, even though it was twice the size of him!)
Samuel Mendez - Kids (3-5) - 2nd (obviously he is going to be challenging his brother soon!)