20th/39
Sunday marked the final day of the Nats saga. But it would not go quietly!
Weather was pretty decent, overcast, slight sprinkles, but still pretty humid. The course looped us out of the start/finish and halfway up the first loose dirt/rock access road before traversing athe grassy ski slope, then scream down towards the base, then a short bump up, a right and a sweeping left to the finishing straight. I expected the pace to be high right from the gun so I set out for a longer warmup to be ready for the pain.
I was a little more savvy about getting to the line early. I was first row in the staging pen, then 2nd row after callups. I was optimistic for once!
Burns and I before the pain really set in
The whistle blew and we were off. I chose the right-hand outside line knowing remembering from starts in the past that the first soft left-hander generally bottles riders up. I hoped to ride wide in an open lane. Well, it's OK to hope I guess! There was a chaotic skidding and rubbing of tires from all sides and the bottlenecking spread across the whole width of the track. I was getting bumped more and more outside until I ran out for room and the barrier impeded my progress. I hit the brakes, killing all momentum and was now watching the leaders and eveyone else pull away. Things were still congested and slow up the climb and we were soon single file. Coming through the start/finish I was last, I couldn't believe what or how it all happened! Some people may say they were last at some point, but really mean like last group. I was DFL! Oh the humanity! I laughed as I passed Babs and the kids, it was all I could do! The mind said quit, but the brain doesn't know how to do that so I pressed on, keeping with the pass/don't get passed theme for the weekend. For the next 19 minutes I fished for riders ahead of me, keeping motivated I was improving my finish every lap. Of course I was begging to get pulled every lap, but I was mid-pack late in the race and too close to pack it in. Riders were tougher to pass as time went on. Thom Parsons was the rabbit I was chasing in the closing minutes. Note: Thom races on a singlespeed. He raced XC Friday, SS Saturday, and now ST. He deserves the Ironman (Ironhead? Ironlung?) Award for the weekend. He is a proper biker. I would get him on the flats as he spun out of gear, but he would mash the climb and bridge back. As we closed on the 20th minute, I got by him and his group on the climb, but was too far back from John Burns to justify keeping me in the race for the final 3 laps so I and the rest behind me were pulled.
A carbon copy of the day before, I in 20th, Burns in 19th. I guess that's consistency and where we belong. But on this day, I really wonder where I would have finished had I had a better start. Fellow Mainer Brad Perley put in a great effort and finished 16th. I kept the Hei Hei fully locked out and it felt like a plush hardtail.
Again, I'm satisfied with the result all things considered, completing a fully enjoyable Nats experience.
Next up is a rest week, then a favorite race at the Camden Snowbowl 8/10.
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