GSC#8 - Pig Trail, Macon GA - 08/05/2007 - race report

(as told by nicki sutherland, mountain biker chick)

Sunday marked the final race of the Georgia State Championship Series. All of us noted how ironic it was that the first race was the coldest (30s – 40s) and the last race was the hottest (90s – 100s)! The temperature was brutal and the dry conditions left the trail with some tricky sandy spots that claimed several unsuspecting riders.

(“I guess we have to start lining up”)

By 11:30, everybody was dreading the race. Bruce (our verbose announcer) kept “hydrate people, hydrate” coming across the speakers. I drank a bottle of water before lining up. I was feeling hungry (never a good sign before a race) and although the thought of having a hot dog before the start was very appealing, the reality was that it would NOT be a good idea. I was already feeling overheated and I hadn’t even put my armor on yet! I was putting it off as long as possible. Finally most of the men are gone and it’s our turn. Bruce is rushing us and encouraging us to try to catch up with the men, so 30 seconds later, we are off.

(“Wait, I can’t get my computer started!”)

I got a slow start. I just wasn’t feeling it. Angie was obviously feeling strong today and was pushing hard. I tried to keep up with her, but just didn’t have any desire to get out of the saddle and hammer ahead. I followed her into the woods. Now in the shade, I started to feel like I was recovering from the start. I passed her and just tried to relax and keep my momentum going. She stayed close behind me, but eventually I was able to put some distance between us. About a half a mile from finishing the first lap, I almost slide out going around a corner. Something doesn’t feel right! I turn and feel the lack of control of the bike that only can indicate one thing: I have a FLAT! Being so close to finishing the first lap, I didn’t want to get off the bike and mess with the tire there. Maybe that was not the best strategy, but all I could think about was just getting the lap behind me first, and then being able to cool off a bit (I was seriously overheating at this point) while changing the tire. I had to carefully navigate myself down the rest of the trail on the flat and almost lost control a few times. By the time we went into the completion of the lap, Angie had caught up to me and sprinted through to start the 2nd lap as I dismounted to start working on my bike.

I was shaking, sweating, and just not moving fast enough! Thanks to D running to get me more liquid and throwing water all over me, I managed to cool down and wipe off while changing out the tire. My pit stop cost me about 10 minutes or more. I watched as all the girls in my class passed me. I decided to ditch the arm pads to allow more ventilation. Finally I was back on the bike. It was hard getting going again, but I decided that I was just going to have to find a good pace so that I would be able to finish the race and not allow myself to back off so much that I am out there in the heat all day! It’s hard once you have had a mechanical or flat to mentally get back into an aggressive mode.

Once I hit the single track again, I felt like I had recovered a bit, and I was feeling good again. I got into a nice groove and was enjoying the ride. I got closer to the climb and as I turned the corner, I saw Trish (in 3rd) pushing her bike. I carefully maneuvered around her as I made my way up the climb. I didn’t think I would be able to be back in the race, and claiming back once spot, gave me an extra boost of energy. With the climb behind me, I only had to worry about doing it one more time.

(Angie riding strong up the climb)

As I came through to start the 3rd lap, I shed my knee pads. I just wasn’t cooling down enough! By the start of the 3rd lap, I had started to feel some cramping set in. I stretched on the bike as much as I could and kept a comfortable pace. Suddenly I saw Beth (in 2nd) in the woods up ahead. I tried to push just a little harder, staying conscience of the cramping. I managed to catch up to Beth and passed her before we hit the climb. I had already decided that I would walk up the climb this time, not wanting to risk cramping and having my legs lock up on me. I hit the climb, quickly dismounted, pushed my bike up it, stretched when I got to the top, and then was on my way again. The quick stretching of the quads definitely helped relieve some of the cramping, but I had forgotten to stretch my inner thighs and they were starting to tighten up more now. I just needed to keep it together for 1 more mile. One circle at a time, drink, drink, breathe… I start to hear the announcer through the woods. I’m almost there! As we come out of the woods to head down the straight-away to the finish, one of the guys that had been riding with me on and off through the race, encourages me to push a little harder to finish, and comes up behind me and puts his hand on my back, giving me a little shove. I am so relieved to be done! Bruce, being evil, starts joking about how I’m going to be disqualified because someone pushed me… whatever! He was just trying to get a rise out of me, but I was too hot and too tired to care. I had managed to dig myself out of the hole from last place, to get 2nd. I was thrilled.

(“Everybody STRETCH!”)

I realized 2 things after the race though: 1) I need to learn how to change a flat faster! 2) I need to drill some holes into my armor!

After sitting around chatting to some riders for a bit about the race and riding in general, we headed back to the car and D hosed me down for a good 10 minutes. It felt great! I wished I could have jumped in the pool! We had to wait around for the race awards and then later, they had the series awards. Dave and Terri did a great job putting together a nice spread of food, and then the awards were handed out. I had a great season this year. I am thankful for that. I finished in first place, and will be moving up to expert next year.

I want to extend a big thank you to everybody that has dedicated their time into making these events possible for us. These well organized events surrounded by many smiling faces, keep you coming back for more of the pain! =)

(“And the winner is…”)

NORBA National - Sugar Mountain, NC - 07/28/2007 - race report

[play-by-play as told by nicki sutherland, mountain biker chick]

No really, I won. I really did! This is a picture of the podium. The camera was not available at the time of the awards ceremony.

This past weekend, I participated in my first National event at Sugar Mountain, NC. I had never been to one of these so additionally, I was looking forward to the opportunity of watching the top pros in action. I checked the weather before we headed up there, and with high chances of rain all weekend, it was set to be an “interesting” time.

We headed up there on Thursday. It took us 7 hours to get up there. I wanted to set up camp before the sun went down, and luckily we were able to do that, and thankfully without rain. We found a great site that was under several huge trees, which definitely came in handy during the “on again, off again” rain throughout the weekend. Our temporary home was quite cozy, except for an unfortunate leak in the air mattress and me not being able to get the lantern started the first night. Oops!

Friday morning, we headed to Sugar Mountain Ski resort to check in, pick up my package and race number, and pre-ride the course. The rain had ceased, but it didn’t matter as the ground was slick and muddy. I started up the mountain and had to dismount three times within the first mile due to loss of traction. It was a steep climb. I was running the smallest gear I had and wishing I had another. There is nothing more frustrating that spinning your wheels and not going anywhere.

The elevation was such that you just had to accept that you would be sitting back and slowly grinding up it. There was no sprinting or surging to be made within the first ascents. Three more times I had to push my bike through slippery sections before I reached the top of the mountain. Then it was time to descend. I had heard that the single track sections of the descent were part of the old down hill course, so I was curious to see how bad they were. I wish I had my camera. I don’t think I can truly describe the mess. You had to experienced it yourself. It was a combination of rocks, roots, mixed together by mud slush which pretty much took control of your bike as you tried to navigate through it in a “controlled” slide. I attempted most of the sections to gauge my skill and prepare myself for race day deciding that it wasn’t worth the risk and that I would be walking most of it, and very carefully.

When I got through the last section of gnarly descending single track, I was relieved that all I had left was a straight shot down the mountain. But I quickly realize that I should not be too hasty in my excitement, as going in a straight line on a wet trail that is a mix of mud and grass, with tires that or now fully caked in mud leaving no room for traction, was not something to be taken lightly! I finished and started to psych myself up for having to do two laps of that, when D came running toward me with much excitement. Apparently, due to the nasty conditions, they had changed all the women's laps to be one less. I somewhat felt cheated and relieved at the same time.

My bike and I were caked in mud and I headed to the supplied water hose to promptly clean us. Later, I still had to pick out strands of grass and packed mud! She will never be the same again… sigh.

Race day and riders are line up at the start in their categories. For some reason, I was not that nervous about this race. I don’t know if it was because I had no expectations, didn’t know anybody, or knew that I only had to get through it once. I had gotten a somewhat good warm up with one of the riders in my group and then was just waiting for them to count us down. The whistle blows and I get my shot gun start as always, but not pushing too hard as I know as soon as I take the corner, we will start going UP and I needed to not be blown up for the long climb ahead. We all slowly crawl up the mountain. I definitely think that the pre-ride paid off. I had planned what I would need to do in my head, and I tried to follow it without getting discouraged by not being able to climb the whole way. As soon as I lost traction, I was off the bike. I did a combination of running and walking. At some points, running would make you slide. We all fought our way to the top. We were head to head with each other. I pushed myself to be just ahead of the rest up the last steep turn and quickly got back on my bike, gaining speed and momentum which helped propel me up the next incline. My goal now was to keep moving forward. I never saw anybody else in my class again after the first mile and a half, but I didn't waste any time looking back either. Once I caught up with some of the back of the men’s pack, I was motivated to keep going and try to pass as many as I could.

The climbing is over and now it’s time to make the descent. The sections in the woods are slightly drier than yesterday, but not by much. Still they seemed slightly more manageable. I am able to stay on the bike through 3 of the sections, but then finally had to succumb to the rocks, roots and mud slush. My better judgment told me to walk it instead of trying to struggle through there in a control slide. I unclipped one foot through parts, pushing myself through. On others, I totally had to dismount and carefully walk through. Walking on wet, muddy baby rocks with cleats is like walking on ice! Add the fact that you have to keep both yourself and your bike from falling makes it extra fun! These sections made “blood rock” at Oak Mountain look like a walk in the park!

I slide down the last section of single track and hit the open run down the mountain to the finish. My excitement starts to build, and I am almost hitting 30 mph. I remind myself that I have to bleed speed in order to remain in control through the slick sections. The downhill descent ends in a sharp 45 degree turn then rolls around into the start/finish area. I am done and managed to hold on to my lead to cross in first place having covered 6 miles and 1000ft of climbing. The race was the shortest this entire year but one of the toughest. Chatsworth was still worse! I was thrilled to have finished so well on such a tough course and at my first national event. I think I may go to this again next year, but hopefully conditions will be better. Of course, it won’t really make it easier, but maybe I will be able to stay on my bike a little longer. =)

The aftermath: the pictures never do it justice. The bike was trashed!

CBR gets a top 10 in Huntsville

The team forgot a camera, so this is an edited version of Jeff, Adam and Bill



Prepared by Jeff Davis

The CBR Cat 5 group went to Huntsville for the Alabama State RR championships. The Cat 5'ers were Bill Swain, Adam Weinbaum and Jeff Davis, with Ben Weinbaum there for the Jr's race.

The Cat 5 field was capped out at 50 riders. The route was mostly flat with a few rolling hills similar to Sunshine Road beyond the bridge. At the beginning of the race I was worried and thought I was in for a long day, as we were going 28 mph the first few miles. I thought I may have accidentally entered the Tour de France. Luckily, it slowed down to a manageable pace after that. We ended up averaging just over 24mph for the 33 mile route.

It was also a bit sketchy at times too. Some guy hit my rear wheel so hard on the first climb it almost knocked me down. Now I know why some guys can't wait to cat up to the 4's.

The pack stayed together for the most part, as the hills were not significant enough to split up the group. So, it basically came down to a group sprint in the end. I found myself in the 15th spot or so with about a 1/4 mile to go and had a good position on the center line. The guys on the shoulder took off early and the guys in front of me couldn't respond, so I had to wait a few seconds for the 200 meter mark to go across the center line. I picked up a handful of spots in the sprint but the guys on the right just got too much of a head start and I crossed the line in 10th.

It seemed that most of the pack didn't understand the center line rule with 200 to go. They were unaware they could cross it for the final sprint, despite that fact that our Starter clearly stated this at the line before our race. That really kept the field tight and kept some of the guys from being able to sprint for the finish. Adam took major advantage of their ignorance and came from the back of the pack all the way up to finish 19th. Bill got pinned on the inside and couldn't really make a move without putting himself at risk and finished 27th.

We all felt like we had some gas left in the tank after the race. The consensus among us was if we knew how to work together better and understood the tactics of road racing a little more, we could have really left a mark for CBR on this race.

Ben Weinbaum entered the juniors race and had a tough day. There were only 10 jr's and one was a 16 year old that had just won the US Jr. TT Championship the week before. He is classified as a Cat 2 men's rider and also had three teammates with him. He was also wearing his National Champion's jersey which had to be intimidating. A 12 year old against a Cat 2 just doesn't seem fair, but Ben showed alot of determination in finishing the race and can chalk this one up as more experience. He did not many 12 yr. olds to race against, so they combined his group with the older kids. Ben did not beat the 16 yr. olds, but won his age division and took home Gold medals in both the crit and Road race.

The "Siege of Rome" - Georgia Cup Style

"Some men seek glory, others wealth...old racers seek rest"


Barry & Butch crashing after the TTT

The Southeastern All Star series visited the hamlet of Rome Georgia the weekend of July 14 - 15. The event would be a timed stage race that included a Team Time Trial, Criterium and Road Race. Our team - CBR , Columbus Bike Racing, took a 4 man team for the master's and a 5 man team for the Competitive class (Cat 4/5).

Scott & Steve enjoying a late breakfast

The master's team were the first of our group to start. We had Barry Carswell, Butch Brookins, Scott Matty and Steve Murray. The format allows for up to 10 riders, unfortunately, we could only muster four this week. We had a 24K (15.36 mile) Team time trial. We started out a little hard and in doing so, burned through Butch around 25% into the race. The course was flat with slight rises, this led to rather faster speeds and efforts. Butch was able to put in two great pulls through the rotation. This allowed us to keep good speed and keep working. Only Scott and Steve had TT bikes, so Barry and Butch were at a slight disadvantage in equipment. Over the course of the ride, Barry was able to keep us driving, but used up his cardio about 10 miles in. Scott and I continued, but at a slower pace than we had with our team mates. We did not pass any teams, but we also did not allow anyone to pass us. We finished the TTT in under 36 minutes and got 4th place. Butch and Barry were able to complete the course within 20% range of our time which allowed them to keep our time as the overall finish time for the team. Our ending average was 27.5 mph. We were 1 mph slower than the winners, so we were close, but still too far to be in the money.
Breakfast before the Team time trial

The Cat 4/5 team started out with Sam Gwin, Matt Ragan, John Stowe, Victor Karm and Jonathan Cook. The abilities within the group were varying, so they anticipated loosing a rider or two along the way and using whatever boost they could get. Jonathan was the first to fall out, but this was Jonathan's first real race weekend. He did a great job considering he is very new to cycling! John, Matt, Sam and Victor rode a very hard pace and kept it up. They were up against some teams with the full 9 - 10 riders. Matt sacrificed himself with some monster pulls and was off the group late in the TT. Victor, Sam and John stayed together to the end and all 5 guys were awarded the same finish time. They scored a 5th place out of around 15 - 18 teams. Very impressive result for such a small group.

Barry & Butch at the LandMark diner
The criteriums were later in the afternoon and the course had 4 corners, a climb you had to stand for each lap and a blurringly fast decent into a 90 degree turn. It was a fun course. Fast, hard and exciting to race and watch. The master's group did a good job and all finished with the pack. Barry scored with a 10th place, Scott with a 13th, Steve with 15th and Butch with 16th. In the C4/5's - Sam was the strong man and rode the front and took 5th. John was just behind him in the pack with 13th and unfortunately Matt and Victor got caught up behind a wreck mid way through and were out of the race.

The whole team dines together after the crits

The Road Race was held around 30 miles north of Rome at a park call the Pocket. The Pocket is at the base of a small mountain or a really big hill. We had two laps which included climbing the mountain and the final climb was also the race finish at the top. Truly a sadistic design! In the masters and Cat 4/5 groups - the fields stayed together until the climb. We started the race and everyone stayed together until the hill. At that point the field began to spread apart quickly. The climb was around 3 miles with several switch backs. The average grade was around 8 -9% with spots exceeding 20%. As I watched the leaders leave me, I wondered again why I do this. I can tell you - it isn't for the climbing. I had installed a 25 to make the climb easier. I was in need of a 27 by the second time up that hill. For the RR, only Barry, Scott and I were in the race. Butch had only been able to race with us on Saturday. As we approached the summit, Scott was in the chase pack and Barry was just behind them. I crested about 30 - 40 yards behind Barry. I tried to catch him on the decent, but he was just too smooth and fast. We encountered emergency personnel as a Cat 3 rider had taken a spill and had to be airlifted out to a nearby hospital. As the race progressed, I was in no man's land watching the chase pack slowly go away. I rode the remainder of the race solo for around 25 miles. I did stop for a nature break and missed another chase group that was behind me. So, there I was, no hope of a good finish and my overall time down the drain. The scenery was lovely. I time trailed as much as I could to stay on task, but it did little good. Once I hit the hill for the final ascent, I began to cramp badly and was forced off the bike on two occasions. I finished, but in a lack luster showing.


V-man & Jonathan at the Landmark diner


The Cat 4/5's had a similar scenario that their field remained together until the first climb. Sam was able to make a break away group and stayed there for a 6th place finish. The chase group included Victor who finished 12th. Matt & John were in the next group and finished with the field. Jonathan was slightly behind them. It was definitely a hard first race weekend for Jon. He showed alot of heart and will power just competing in a massive field of 75 riders.

The weekend was really fun overall with a good group and some nice results!! I also have to mention "Dora the explorer". Dora Ditchfield, a former resident of Columbus was our local contact in Rome. Dora works at Berry College in Rome and is very active in the local bike club. Dora helped us find our way to everything we needed. Thanks Dora and good luck on the upcoming move to Indiana!!

Alabama State 40K Time Trial Championships

Sprott, Alabama
Never heard of Sprott? Well there is a reason for that - there is nothing of note there. Only a road. And that road was all we needed. CBR took 13 riders to Sprott for our maiden voyage to the middle of nowhere Alabama. We had three teams for -Team Time Trial and one adult and two Junior riders for the individual event. The day started in a rainy Wal-Mart parking lot at 5 AM. We gathered and combined stuff to get down to 5 vehicles for the 3 hour drive to Sprott. The rain fell off and on the entire ride. The rain continued to fall during our TT's which made the rooster tails in the face really nice for everyone riding the TTT events!

The young guns started off and rode a 20K out and back route. They rode very well and represented Columbus and the valley very well. In the Juniors, we had Benjamin Weinbaum from the great state of Alabama competing for the state title. Ben was the fastest Jr. from Alabama in the 13- 15 group and won the state title!!! Gabe Denes Jr., not from Alabama, was second overall in the Jr's and won some cash. The rest of us had a full 40K team time trial. On the teams we had a full 4 man category 5 group with Jeff Davis, Shane Irvin, Bill Swain and Jonathan Cook. In the category 4's there was Matt Ragan and John Stowe. In the master's there was the ill fated team of Scott Matty, Gabe Denes, Adam Weinbaum and Steve Murray.

The master's group was the first to start from our group. On the way to the line, we lost Adam Weinbaum to a nature break and he missed the start. Scott, Gabe and I started out a little fast and Gabe paid the ultimate price as his legs refused to push that hard, Gabe was off the pace and fell back. Scott and I continued on and traded pulls every minute and a half. There was a slight tail wind going out and the course was flat. The roads was a pebble surface, but still quite fast. At the turn around point 20K into the ride, our average was 28.5 mph. (We were flying!!) We had passed three other teams at that point. After the turn we hit that same wind that had helped us going out. One word -OUCH! Our speed dropped and the suffering intensified. We took shorter pulls and continued to try to maintain the pace. I was worried that the Mellow Mushroom team would be gaining on us. They were two minutes back at the start, but they were young and looked strong. I had seen them after the turn and they were riding smooth. Our driving pace took its' toll around mile 19. Scott started fade just a little. We regained our composure and dropped the pace slightly to adjust. We pushed the remainder of the ride more from the desire to get off our bikes and end the suffering rather than winning anything. Scott reached deep and stood and sprinted the last 75 yards and we were done. Praise the lord! Our ending average was 26.5 mph. We won the Team Time Trial beating 9 other teams. Our finish time was 56:12. We had the third fastest overall time. Two pro/1/2 category riders had put in faster solo times.

Cat 5 team

We sat at the finish watching for the others as they were just behind us in the starting order. Matt and John came in exceptionally strong. Shortly thereafter - the c5's were approaching. They worked well together and launched two to the line to get the best time possible. Shane and Jon took the line with Jeff and Bill following close behind. In the middle of these two groups - Gabe and Adam rolled in. Adam had come to the line and found Scott and I gone and rode out chasing. Shannon Dickerson had also gone and suffered two flats 8 miles into the TT to end his race. We then waited for 2 hours for the results to post and finally left the metropolis of Sprott. Gabe has decided to come back next year and take the tandem title.

Did I mention there is nothing to do in Sprott? Well, if you look closely, you can see we were just sitting around watching Scott sleep. No one was able to ring his mouth with pieces of paper. Maybe next race!

GSC #7

by Nicki & Jose

Nicki's take on Ellijay;
Yesterday marked the second to last race of the Georgia series. We couldn’t have actually asked for better conditions. With all the rain surrounding us, it could have turned out to be very nasty- had it been wet.

They changed the course this year, which I thought was a positive change. Last years’ start up on the road was just evil as far as gradient, and then dropped into one of the nastiest descents. Just what you want at the start: a bunch of folks racing down a nasty downhill section with blown up legs. So the trail had a lot better flow this year. Well, until you have to dismount to walk the climbs ;)

I got a good start. The road section was fast but toward the end, it had a bit of a climb. I found myself staying in the saddle and starting to gear down and I noticed that the girls behind were gaining on me and then at some point were right next to me. I had to make the conscious decision that I had to push myself and embrace the pain of getting out of the saddle and pushing a bigger gear to get into the woods first. I stood up, started to pedal and they dropped behind me. As I hit the single track, there were some pro/experts that had been stopped at the crossing to let the race starters get in. I passed one of the pro/experts as he was struggling to gain his momentum again. I knew that he would catch up with me again soon enough to pass right back. I hit the downhill section and didn’t see anybody again until we started to climb out of the hole. At that time the pro/expert had caught up to me and as he passed made a positive comment about my descent which was encouraging. This is always where I can make up some time as I feel like I’m stronger in the descents than the climbs.

When I hit the first short but STEEP climb, I decided to commit to it and try to make it. It was TOUGH but I managed to keep my momentum getting in and out of the saddle, and it was a great sense of accomplishment when I got to the top and it started to even out and drop again. Of course, I immediately made the decision that I will not be doing that on the subsequent laps as the effort exerted would hurt me for the rest of the race. After that, you get to suffer through some gradual but long climbs mixed up with some rolling descents, and just when you think the worst is over, you hit “the wall”. As the trail turns, you look ahead and there is this rocky, rooty, eroded trail that goes up, up, up. I let my momentum carry me up it as much as I could and once the wheels stopped, I was off the bike pushing/running/walking it up! When I got to the top, I had to stop and stretch a bit before getting back on the bike. This wasted time on every lap for me, but I think it also kept me from cramping.

At some point during the second lap, I was starting to drag really bad and suddenly I noticed that the girl in 2nd was 1 rider back from me. This motivated me to put a little more gas to the pedals and thankful a downhill was right up ahead so I gained some time and distance back on that. During my last lap, I got passed by some of the pro girls. Every time they passed, I would try to hang with them for a bit, but the only place I even came close was on the descents. As soon as we hit the climbs, I was left suffering miserably and eventually had to give in to the fact that I just wasn’t going to be at that level in this lifetime! I hit the last section of the trail, which was a nice flowing descent to the finish. I was so relieved I almost wasn’t sure if I was done or not. “Did I have another lap? Surely not!” As the other riders started coming through and stopping, I relaxed and just enjoyed the fact that another painful race was over.

All in all it was a fun weekend. As the season starts to come to a close, less and less riders are showing up at the start line. Jose and I were both excited when we saw another CBR bright green jersey come through the finish. John Spencer had another great race. He definitely needs to be moving up next year to sport! And of course Jose got his favorite placing… number 8! =)

Jose's take on Ellijay;
Ok, so just call me “Mr. 8th place” if you want. This is the 4th time in 7 races this season I have come in 8th place and to be honest it’s getting kinda old - not bad, just old.
GSC 7 took place at Carter’s Lake, Ellijay, one of the most feared courses in GA due to it’s fast sketchy downhills and of course if you want to go down fast you have to climb a lot. If it tells you anything we usually have the lowest overall turnout at this course – compared to other series races - probably due to its reputation. The difference here from Chatsworth (which was painful) was this course took you up the mountain in stages instead of miles of continuous climbing. You also got three or so sketchy descent sections with some other descents that were just wickedly fast and fun. Still, not what we train for here in Columbus, but not bad overall.
We drove up Saturday for a pre-ride and drove in the rain most of the way. We started fearing a muddy race which would not be a good thing at Carter’s Lake. Thankfully we got to the camp site and it was just drizzling and by the time we got to preride - it was not raining at all. We were happy to see the trail was dusty, not muddy.

Getting to the race recap. I had no need to watch the start line arrangement since it’s a wide road start and a half mile sprint to the woods. We were talking though about who wanted to volunteer going into the woods first since no one wants to drive the pace on this technical trail. There was actually some joking about everyone coming to a dead stop at the woods entrance going “you first”, “no you first”, “no please, you first”, you get the picture - well it was funny at the time.
Off we go on the whistle and the niceties of the start line end. It’s a mad dash to the woods. I was in 6 place just entering the woods and this yahoo didn’t shift from the road sprint deciding to do it just as we enter the woods – which is a climb. Needless to say, he messed himself all up crashed/dismounted and took me along with him. This is a VERY bad thing and a VERY bad spot. I had to clear my bike and push up the bit of hill left while feeling the “wooosh” of at least 4 other guys flying by me. Not a good start to this race which promised to be difficult to begin with. Back on the bike I managed to get the front 10 within sight and tried to close. Got close until we hit the first big climbing section. My effort to catch was not what I needed to face the climb and it just made me blow up. It’s that usual 10 minute after the start exhausted feeling we always get. I climbed the first section and dismounted for the second section of that climb – it had to have been a 30-40 degree incline at least. Nick - "I can confirm that it was STEEEEEP". Doable, but not when I’m blowing up. I walk/run that bit and get back on and pedal. From there I just worked to get my HR back in line and kept going. The race was uneventful from there on. I raced well after that and felt good. No cramps etc. We had 2.5 laps for a total of 16 miles of good climbing and descending action. Great tough trail! At one point I was passed by a Pro so I decided to chase him for a bit and watch him race and OH MY GAWD was that guy fast and fearless. We came up on one of the most scary descents of the trail and he almost appeared to be pedaling instead of laying on his brakes like a normal human being with any sense of fear and bills to pay. If you overshot this descent – which ended in a 90 degree left turn in soft ground – you would have been off the cliff making for a not so nice end to your race. He just skidded last minute – make that seconds – whipping his bike around, both tires appeared to slide as he made the right turn. Never once unclipping his feet - just laid on the cranks and kept going. Made me feel like I was on a tricycle. I think I ride fairly well in the woods but man, there is so much more to be learned...or fear to be lost...or brains cells to kill to make a move like that. So I decided he just doesn’t have a wife and kids to support. That has to be it LOL.
One last spot of note was “the wall” as it is called. That one just gets uglier year after year – another very steep but rocky and rooty climb which you come up on and just have to say “that’s just not worth my time”. Dismounted that one and ran up – which is quicker BTW. Other than that I made all the other climbs as painful as they were sliding into 8th place at the finish. Truthfully I’m not sure how I ended up 8th. I thought I was in 11th place or so and only remember passing one guy. I guess in the haze of racing I picked up a couple spots. I’ll take it – but did it have to be 8th place?!!!

Nicki kicked but as always and I spotted John Spencer coming (didn’t know he was there until then) out of the woods with a second place finish. Good stuff for the CBR mountain crew this weekend. We just need more people out there on mtn bikes. Good times.

Green Machine Captures the Cat 5 State Championship

Sandy Springs & Union City - Highlights Over a several week period, the powerful cat 5 group of Matt Ragan, John Stowe, Ryan Crabbe, Shane Irvin and Victor laid down a path of destruction. They started in Sandy Springs during the Cycle works race weekend. Ryan stomped out a power sprint that beat the field for the victory in the road race. The following day, Victor nearly pulled off the win, but was nipped and scored a second place finish. A week later at the Union City Road race, John Stowe showed off his power by pulling the field and driving the pace the majority of the race. On the final approach to the finish, John once again with the help of Shane Irvin, laid down the pace and rode several want to be teams off his wheel to continue to dictate the race pace. He took the final corner and wiped himself out to give Ryan a strong leadout. Ryan turned on the after burners and won the State Road Race title. In only his first short season, Ryan has learned the tricks of the finish and used them well. Scott Matty turned in a strong performance at Union City as well with two top ten finishes in the TT and Road race.


Savannah, Georgia - Cyclism - June 16 & 17
The team turn out was limited, but the results were good. Our cat 4 group increased by 3 this week as Matt, John and Ryan all upgraded to category 4 racing. Scott Matty & Steve Murray were the lone Master's from Columbus to make the trip. The weekend was a stage race for the combined time of all events. It began with a team time trial. Each team could have up to 10 riders. With our limited turnout - we were at a disadvantage from the start. Scott & Steve started the day with the odds stacked against them. As C4 racers in the Master's field, most of the riders are more accomplished and experienced than our guys. Even so, the 15 mile course showed that categories are not all telling. Scott and Steve upset several larger teams by taking a podium spot in third. Beating several teams of 5, 6 or 7 riders. They were beaten only by the 500 pound gorilla that is Memorial Health with their stacked squad of super stars and the talented trio in second place that included a former world champion TT rider in David Grice and the current GA state TT champion Doug Pomeranz and a fine cat 2 rider that rounded out their team. The C4 squad were also at a huge disadvantage as the competitive field of 4/5 combined riders was at full force for the weekend. The other teams had up to 10 riders and most had 5 or more. Matt, John & Ryan had a misqueue that took them to the line 40 seconds late - so it was all out from the start. Ryan, who is not a time trialer did his job by driving for all he was worth as long as possible. He rode a little too hard as his vision began to fade to black and he nearly passed out. At that point, he turned it over to John and Matt who laid down the gas and had a top 15 finish. The afternoon crit saw Scott turn in a fine top 15 finish in a strong field. Steve didn't fair as well and was in the top 20. The c4 race was hectic and full of wrecks. Our guys stayed upright and had good finishes in the field.

Sunday brought with it the Circuit Race on Oglethorpe Island. A LeMans style road course on a 2.6 mile loop - created a fun, fast and exciting place to race. Scott and Steve began the day and as usual - Scott's aggressive riding had him jumping to bridge to every break. Steve stayed in the pack and sat on a couple of strong riders to ensure he stayed in position throughout the race. Scott also sat on front and drove the field's speed up a few times when there was a lull in the attacks. Scott did manage to get into several breaks, but none stayed away. With three laps to go, a group of 7 or so managed to gap the field and started to move away. Our guys took turns along with the field taking pulls to bring them back. Steve did a big pull with 2 to go to close on the lead group prior to the end. On the final sprint, Steve had gotten good position and sprinted with the leaders. He finished 4th. Scott ended the weekend 11th overall and Steve was 12th. The 2.5 minute gap from the TTT was the nail in the coffin that could not be overcome. John and Matt rode the c4 circuit and both finished in the top 20.

Currently, John, Matt & Ryan are ranked number 4 in the state and 12th in the nation for Team time trial!!

Georgia State Championship Race # 6 -Columbus

Finally GSC-6, the hometown race. After all this riding/training and riding around GA we finally got to race at home. It was a great feeling to wake up at 7:30am and cruise my way over to the race venue 10 minutes away from home. Won’t describe the course since you all should know it well. Besides Ft. Yargo probably the fastest course in the series.

We all knew (even the buzz online) the Start would be crucial to this race as it bottlenecks into the woods only 300 ft or so after the Start, not to mention the 180 degree turn around the Oak tree. I had my plan(s) for that turn, 1. If I got stuck on the inside I would unclip my inside foot, spin my bike around and take off again or 2. Go around the outside and slingshot w/o losing speed. All depending on how the Start actually panned out.. So my cat. is up on the road itching to line up because there are so many of us and so little space. Everyone is edging in as the time gets closer and I decide I must do something to guarantee a front row spot. Bruce (announcer) calls ten seconds on the cat ahead of us and I start counting down, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 ...Go! I jump the field rolling down the grassy knoll, lining up just as the whistle is going off for the other category – by that time everyone’s to busy looking at the race start to say anything and I find myself smack in the middle of the Start line by myself with everyone racing up alongside me. Perfect! I was psyched! I was sooo worried about getting stuck in the back row.
Now the hard part, getting into the woods in a good spot. Bruce gives the whistle and I bolt with everyone but what happens is everyone gets up to speed and then coasts as they approach the 180 degree turn. I didn’t. I pedaled a little longer getting myself ahead of the pack, put a little brake on to make the turn and bolt again in second place to the woods. Perfect, again! I just couldn’t believe the start went so well. Thinking I am behind Kolszak, the guy leading our series, I worry about keeping his tail in sight long enough to secure my podium position. To my surprise he just takes it easy thru the woods so once I recover from the starting effort I decide I need to pass. If I am going to do well I need to use the woods to my advantage. I gear down and wait for the rock slap in the Orange Loop to come up. I step on it passing who I find out was Tim Z., another very fast guy but not the one I thought was there. Now I pick up the pace and he matches it. In the switchbacks I see there is no one else behind us for a little bit so it’s all about dropping this guy – which is not easy. I attack several times in tight sections until midway thru the course I break away slightly from him. Now he has to find his own line, not use mine...and that’s a good thing for me. I never see him again.
Now I go into “someone’s gonna catch me” mode. I start attacking everything I can to build some time between those riders I know can usually outlast me and catch me towards the end of the race. Everything goes well from there I am pleased to say...well, maybe not everything. I tried to pass a guy in the tight orange section (2nd lap) but he doesn’t tell me when to pass, he just moves over and drags me with him making me wreck. I got up, put the chain back on and on my way I go. Got to some open areas and looked back every time but couldn’t see anyone behind me (from my category) so I started to slow down slightly so I could recover from each effort instead of riding max’d out constantly. That remained the case the remainder of the race.




If I have anything I wish happened differently it would be the rock garden. I pre-rode that technical climb 3 times and made it up every time. Then on race day lap 1 I clip a root and have to dismount before even hitting the steep climb and lap 2 my hand bumps my front der. lever and drops me down to the granny gear just as I hit the right turn losing momentum dismounting again.

So I made it to the finish line for the first time in 1st place. Great feeling, weird feeling. I usually spend the next few minutes after the race trying to figure out how many people were in front of me yet this time I had nothing to do but wait for my goodie bag. I had a blast. Thanks to all who volunteered and also served as our cheering section at every other corner. It was hard to slow down when we had people screaming our names (and encouragement) what appeared to be constantly. It was so nice to have people around us and know the event was being taken care of w/o us worrying about anything but just to pedal hard. I’ve read nothing but praises online about the course and the volunteer effort – great job!
Many other locals raced and surprised themselves at how well they can ride in the woods. Hope to see more of you out there.

by Jose Mendez

Nicki had a great race too as she slowly wraps up her vacation, I mean season, on the way to EXPERT next year. Way to go Nicki!!! Paul, where were you? You obviously missed the start. See ya next year. Joseph, cool to see you again and awesome top ten finish John Spencer, You’re just fast! 2nd place! Sport next year for you. Jared (BOMB), I am scared. Did anyone see his times? He pulled a Sport-type lap time. Glad he’s a lot younger than I and not racing me. Gabe Jr., It happens in the best of families. Hey, what’s an Endo here and there anyway No really, sorry to hear that, I know you would have won your race. Glenn, I was impressed. A busy man who doesn’t get to ride much and still representing.
Dayton, top 5 finish if I recall correctly. Smokin’ Teresa, so you moving up to Expert next year to chase Nicki? Matt W., good to see you complete your goal. Next goal is winning! All roadies who raced, keep on coming out. My boys raced again and both came in 2nd place. They were excited about it but wanted more riding. Now that’s a good problem for a parent to have.




Nicki's perspective
All in all I had a good race. The heat got to me too and I felt like I just didn’t have the energy level I was hoping for. I’m sure that some of it had to do with the fact that I feel like my legs haven’t quite recovered from racing 3 weeks in a row, and some with the fact that I had not gotten enough sleep during the week and was up between 4 and 5am due to being on call (being on call during a race week always stinks!). Grandma needs her sleep! =)
Racing at home definitely has its advantages and it shows. We know the turns and terrain and your body almost my instinct knows which way to lean, what’s coming up and what to prepare for (of course, that didn’t keep me from taking a hit twice!). But it also adds additional pressure because you feel like you should do better for the exact same reasons.
For me however, it feels like my home trail is also my Achilles heal! This year, although cramps started to set in a little later in the race than last year, the end result was the same. My legs locked up at the EXACT same spot as last year. Sigh… I want to give a HUGE thank you to the two sport guys that were right behind me who helped clear my rigid carcass from the trail so that riders could get by. You have to love it when someone comes hammering by screaming “clear the trail” and you are thinking to yourself “if I could move, do you think I’d be laying here?”
Thankfully, I was able to finish the race after much pain and agony which continued once I crossed the finish line. Of course, I really wanted to hide somewhere after the embarrassment of apparently causing some folks a scare again with the pre-mature calls for an EMT.



Joseph's Take on the race

off the line i was fourth into the woods. i held this spot, staying in the big ring, through the entire wooded section and out into the short track area. i passed a guy, third now. then someone passed me. fourth again. about halfway through this lap i realized i only had half a water bottle left from my warm up. i never switched bottles!!! continuing around the lake and on new trail i thought to myself, this place looks great. i'm sorry i wasn't able to help with the new trail. i crossed the rock section boldly, as the guy behind me sort of rattled his way across it. into the woods and back to the final straightaway i dropped down to about 7th or 8th place. as i came charging through with a guy on my wheel i reached for a cold new full water bottle and only managed to slap it out of darcy's hand. the water bottle flies to the ground, screeching halt, trackstand, she picks it up and hands it to me. two riders pass by. my second trip through the uphill rock garden was better than my first, i dismounted (think cyclocross) and ran all the way to the open trail again and hopped back up to my pedals. i passed one rider here. i began hydrating every second i could and found myself on the wheel of a pro woman rider. i did my best to stay on her wheel through the end of the lap. this kept me moving faster. i pretty much followed her and traded places a couple times with the pro woman through the rest of the lap.

climbing through "my trail" as barry called it was a very humbling experience. when i reached the final straightaway all i could do was pass a 30-39 rider. no 19-29 sport guys were in the way, or i would have surely passed them. big ringing it along the way i felt the great satisfaction of racing on a great trail in my hometown. i'd been cheered on by roadies and mountain bikers, old friends of mine, and been cheered with "go columbus!!" i crossed the line in 7th. about 6 spots lower than i'd been hoping for. but i had water bottle tragedies and general inexperience riding in the 106 degree heat (i'm used to upper 70's lower 80's... come ride in boone!!!) as a weak excuse. i'm happy, though, with my finish, and very happy about the day.


Results from our local riders were numerous and stellar.

Nicki Sutherland – First, Sport Women
Teresa Bruce – Second, Sport Women
Jose Mendez – First, Sport Men, 30-39
Glenn Kalnins – Fourteenth, Sport Men, 30-39
Dayton Preston – Fourth, Sport Men, 30-39
Jared Alderson – Fifth, Beginner Men, 20-29
Joseph Grimes – Seventh, Sport Men, 20-29
John Spencer – Second, Beginner Men, 30-39
Gabe Denes, Jr – Junior Men, DNF due to a technical problem from a crash

GSC 5 - Chattsworth

GSC 5 - Chattsworth

An overwritten and pitiful race recap for me. By Jose Mendez


GSC 5 proved to be the toughest race I have done yet in my 2 years racing. The course wasn’t technical in the sense that you were making 4 ft drops but more the fact you were going downhill for about 15 minutes straight thru loose and jagged rocks – VERY FAST. For reference the trail cleared up in one section and I hit 39.5mph!!! Once you hit the absolute bottom of the mountain you climbed it all back w/o a break taking about 30 minutes. The climbs were viciously steep in many parts and loose rock beds in many others.

So we first line up at the bottom of a 1/2 mile road climb. Being a 9:30am start kept me from warming up well since I have the boys’ races to deal with right before then. Bruce continuously reminds everyone at the start that this is a VERY dangerous trail using this line many times ....” if you don’t have SKILLS walk away, you should not be on this trail”. So that said, we take off up the only truly smooth part of the course – the road. I get to the top in probably 7th place and into the woods we go. Feeling OK but worried that we will be hitting the real downhill in about 1.5 miles. I think I got passed by one or two before then on a short steep climb then we make it to the road crossing where the volunteers are yelling “downhill, downhill!!” and there it is. We head into the woods again and it’s down into the depths of he11 from there, literally. Steep downhill switchbacks for the next 10-12 minutes – the trail was about 4 ft wide but you did not want to veer off more than 6 inches from the main line or “bite it”. Not that the main line was clean. Jagged rocks imbedded in the trail and loose ones that have been kicked up just laying around. Then some areas were just loose 4 to 6” rock beds that you had to hope you did not flat or crash on. My hands were getting weak from just hanging on and feathering the brakes most of the time. Then just before we hit bottom it clears up a little and we have about .5 mile of incredibly fast SS where my computer marked me at 39.5mph (though I think that was on my second lap, since I was following people on the first) when finally we hit bottom. So what from here you ask? Well, you climb it all back in one long effort! No rolling climbs, no flats to recover, just one long 30 minute climb. Some areas were literally unrideable as they were just the side of a cliff were they managed to a squeeze in a few switchback to get you over it. Horrible pain as you climb those next to a beautiful soft waterfall on your left. I really just wanted to sit and look at it at that point. My legs just gave out – I blew up and just crawled my way walking out of there for what appeared to be an eternity. Got back on my bike and rolled for a bit then walked for a bit, then rolled then walked...get the picture? My mind won over my body and I decided to quit, yes DNF, the race. I told myself that when I made it back to the finish after the first lap I was pulling off, quitting and licking my wounds (none physical thankfully). As this is happening of course I am losing positions constantly. I thought myself to be a decent climber until yesterday.
For some reason once I hit the road climb again heading to the finish line – for lap one – I recovered and managed to convince myself to roll on. I felt much better by then and was (what I thought was) flying thru the trail hitting the downhills hard and even passing people on my way down. Got to the fast SS and that’s when I just let go of the brakes. I had put “grippier” tires on my bike for this race (why you ask, well because I was scared!!) so I knew they’d hold better in the corners and at high speed. There I believe I hit my top speed for the race 39.5mph!!! Probably the fastest speed I’ve ever done in a race.
Well but then I hit bottom again. Hmmm, I guess I have to climb out, AGAIN! With more mental strength and physical strength this time around I managed to ride much more of the climb only getting of for the truly steep and loose rock bed areas where it’s faster just to walk it. I probably took a little longer but I was going MY pace which kept me going OK, instead of chasing people. On one of my walks I came up on another walker who begins to tell me he had just slid out and broke his elbow (yeah, one of many casualties) after landing on a rock. After making sure he was “OK” I kept going – he was just going to walk back out and deal with his injury, but OK overall.
I kept climbing and passed one rider in my class and I believe one more rider on the final road climb. Then finally!!! The finish line. I have never been so glad to finish a race.
Final thoughts – 1. I need to train more in the mountains. We just don’t get 3 miles on trail climbing here in Columbus and you could tell the mountain goats from the rest of us. 2. Mind is over matter and 3. Add 1 teaspoon of salt into your drink. It WILL keep the cramps away...at least for me. This is my second race doing it and Zero cramps. Before then I could guarantee cramps. BTW, I read that on-line somewhere while researching cramps.
Great race. Big ups and downs in many ways. Glad it’s over.
Nicki tells me I ended up 14th and 25 of us started, not sure how many finished. This year’s group of Sport 30-39 racers it stacked, fast and plenty of them.
My boys raced and came in...
Samuel – 1st
Gabriel - 2nd


Nicki's take on the Chattsworth race.

I pretty much felt the same; however I had 1 HUGE advantage over Jose… I was ALONE! Nobody else in my class was apparently brave (or stupid) enough to come and race this trail. So there was no pressure on me, and I decided at the starts that I was just going to ride conservatively and not get hurt.

Generally speaking, I live for the downhill descents, but on this trail, there really wasn’t much room for error if you lost control of your speed. While letting go of my brakes, I would hammer down the sections, rocks kicking up against my bike (haven’t actually checked for damage yet) throwing me around as if I was holding a jack hammer. To add to the “excitement” they had these sharp switchback turns at the bottom of each downhill section, that you COULD NOT overshoot or you would find yourself off the side of the mountain, “hopefully” landing at the next section of switch back downhill.
My hands started to ache and I was switching between trigger fingers and when I could, not using the brakes at all.
As Jose mentioned, there was ONE nice clear, smooth section of trail where you could let go of the breaks and enjoy the speed.
But then the brief moment of joy was sucked out of you as you took a sharp right and the climbing started.

We do not exaggerate when we say there were no relief points. Whatever breaks you got where merely inclines of fewer rocks than the others. I fought it for a while, but after having to fight one rock after another, and another and another and looking ahead and seeing no end to it just more uneven road of UP UP UP, I allowed it to claim my mental fight and I dismounted. Even walking was hard. I attempted to run a few times, but then thought there was no need to twist my ankle, so I would walk, change sides, walk some more, hoping I would get to a spot eventually to get back on my bike. Ah, yes, now is good… a few more pedal strokes and dismount, walk, walk, push, hang over the bike, wipe the sweet draining from my face, look down at watch, heart rate 189, maybe I should rest for a bit. This is not a biking trail! This is not even a HIKING trail! Whose sick idea was this? I actually stopped to enjoy the scenery from time to time. I figured it was going to be a long ride, I mean WALK, to the top, so I might as well try to recover when I could. I watched as some pro/experts even pushed their bikes up the one section of switch back climbs. Could any body have ACTUALLY biked up there?

Before I hit the road, I had all but talked myself out of the ability to continue and do one more lap. But I felt like that would be terrible! I had no excuses to NOT finish… I always promise myself that I will finish no matter what, and I didn’t even have anybody chasing me. So I didn’t care if I had to walk the rest of this course, I WOULD FINISH IT!

Once I hit the road, I felt fine and my legs felt strong going up the road. It made you realize how much energy was being sucked out of you trying to go over the uneven terrain. By the time I entered for the second lap, I was feeling a little more positive, but once I took the right to start climbing, that enthusiasm came to a screeching halt again.

2 miles from the finish, I got passed by the 2 pro girls. They were finishing up their last lap (one more than me) as I was still convincing my legs to keep walking. I hopped on my bike and tried to follow them for a while, but with no recovery spots, I had to back off, and give in to dismounting my bike again one last time.

I can’t remember walking my bike this much since the first year I rode Carter’s Lake up near Ellijay, my first year racing as a beginner. This course is evil! Maybe next year I will offer to volunteer instead, so I can stand and watch how the pro men do it and be amazed and re-inspired.
This course is truly a reality check!

Ok, I’m exhausted again just thinking about it!
BUT, at least it is over, and another race down, 4 more to go.

A REAL Southern Girl Wins Again!!

Nicki Sutherland is the ultimate southern lady. Not only does she live in Columbus, Georgia in the heart of the south, She is originally from South Africa. (That is really south!) Nicki has dominated the Sport women's class this year and may move to expert next year.


BUMP & GRIND
Paul's Single Speed take on the race.....I think I got 17th out of 25 single speeders. Man there was a bunch of
them, our category had all ages and classes combined. I ran a 32X17, I think I could have pushed a 32X16 to help from spinning out on the flat sections but really would have paid on the climb up the mtn. I had to
dismount right before the bridge and walked for about 15 or so feet. I just couldn't turn the cranks.....

I think most guys were riding 29er's but feel the way to go was 26er, those 29er's didn't seem to handle well in the tight stuff due to their longish wheelbase. I had a good time and the cramps didn't show up until mile 11....I forgot to take my pills.

Nicki's write up....I had a good race. I was very excited. At the start, there was a girl that dashed off faster than jack flash, and I tried to keep up with her for a bit, and then was like "no point in blowing myself up, it's a long race!" I was able to catch up with her at that first section of the woods after we got off the road, and then once I passed her I didn't see her again...thankfully. My goal for this race is always to get to the bottom of the climb up the mountain as fast as I can so that I have distance and time between me and the other rides in case I just can't keep cranking. I felt like I had a good climb up the mountain.. It was painful, but it seemed to go by a lot faster than I was expecting. Maybe it's because I was expecting another feed zone at the top and after the feed zone before the bridge, I kept looking for more people, and they never came. Then all of a
sudden, I was at the top and I was like "THANK YOU!"...

After that, I just wanted to stay focused, not make mistakes and enjoy the ride. I find that pushing the 2 miles down that fire road after the climb can be painful too from time to time. once you dip into the downhill section toward blood rock, that's really when the fun starts. I cleared blood rock and that gave me a boost to roll through the rest of that fast section with more confidence.

I finished first, just behind 1 of the girls that started in the age group ahead of us. When I came up on her, I tried to catch her, but she was pretty fast through the woods and I wasn't able to close the distance. 1:24...I only started to feel a few twinges of cramping toward the last mile and 1/2, and only on those last few climbs, so I feel like that was a good thing.




GSC#3 - Fort Yargo, GA 04/29/2007
Today we had perfect racing conditions. Finally some warm weather (which we may not be so thankful for come mid summer) and a perfectly dry trail. I was feeling a little shaky before the start of the race. Not the nervous shaky, but the low-blood sugar shaky. I don't know if it was because I didn't eat enough pre-race, or maybe the sudden heat was draining me more than I realize. Either way, after GO, I tried to get myself motivated to get out of the starting blocks and first into the woods. I was being closely tailed by Emily (the girl in 2nd) which was a huge motivator to keep me pushing and not back off. After about 3 miles, I couldn't hold the pace and had to back off and allow Emily to pass. I recovered and continued to push myself to at least keep her in sight. This paid off as 2 miles from the end of the first lap, I was able to pass her again on a climb. Again, she remained right behind me. We chase into the start of the second lap, and I slow down to feed, at which point, she takes the opportunity to pass. I got back into rhythm, and tried to not let her get away from me too much. About 5 miles into the second lap, I came up on her again, managed to pass, and somehow managed to push past and never saw her again. It was a good race with the two of us challenging each other the whole way.

more results:
Jose came in 8th
Gabriel came in 2nd
Samuel came in 2nd
Gabe D junior came in 2nd.

good day for all! =)