20th/66
Friday morning dawned into a nice day. There was no precipitation, meaning the course was going to be exactly as I had pre-ridden it the day before. Confidence was high. I put slicks on the Kona and spun out on the road for 1/2 hour, saving the intense efforts for the race and ecpecting to start out slowly.
I took the start a bit too casually as I expected there would be call-ups for all racers. I figured there was no sense in staking a position on the line and used the time to stay loose. Sure enough, they called up like 10 guys and then me, as in: "The rest of the field!" Dangit! Unfortunately, this is nothing new to me, so I accepted my BACK ROW position and set my mind to "Passing feels better than being passed" mode.
I made up ample positions once the course widened and started going up choosing less-travelled lines that I had scoped out the day before knwoing they'd be good. I was amazed that guys were getting off on the first steep section. Must have been due to too many guys in too small a space. I was right behind Thom Parsons at this point and we both were doing track stands just waiting for things to get organized and flush out. I made up more spots on the first descent (that was a surprise too!) and then set out for the toughest climbing of the course. I don't remember whether I hit the granny gear the first lap or not, but I sure did later. Funny thing is I did 2 laps pre-riding in the middle and never felt badly. I guess a 4-lap race changes one's plan of attack in a hurry. There were mini-groups of guys ahead and they served as goals to bridge up to. I would generally reach them on a cliimb, ride their pace, then pass on the next flat. My confidence in the singletrack descent the day before dissipated each lap. The first lap I was able to ride Thom's wheel so that went well. But the remaining 3 laps I always entered solo. On my second lap my front wheel washed out on a fast right-hand turn so I think my conservative mode kicked in from there. Everytime I went in with a gap on guys behind, it was erased by the time we exited so I was definitely losing time in there."Dad might be faster on a dirt bike!"
The race was pretty unexciting overall. The last lap was a true test of perseverance. Brad Perley was sitting with his mom on the toughest climb of the course and he said "Just keep the legs sppinning" as I went by for the last time. All I wanted to do was get off, but that helped me get over the hump and finish. I pretty much emptied the tank. The legs were just starting to send cramp threats on the last annoying climb in between singletracks so I knew I had no accelerations left for a sprint. John Burns blew by me on the final approach to the finish and I just waved him by, I was done.So I'm pleased with the result. There's a chance I could have been top-15 with a better start, but the reality is I met my goal of a top-20 finish(I dreamed of a top-10, but people say I'm a dreamer!). Not bad for an Old Man I say! The Hei Hei was a real asset on the course. Its lightweight coupled with the lockout-ability of the shocks helped put the power to the ground rather than bobbing. I was fully confident on it all day.
Babs and the boys were awesome in the pits handing out bottles, telling me what position I was in, and providing motivation, a real team effort.
Next up is a fun/rest day, then the short track on Sunday.
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