Rocky Raccoon's Revenge 8 Hour Race Report

I was told by Coach to put the governor on for this one.  So instead of being a sporty 6 cylinder, I was an efficient little 4 cylinder.  The course was 10.5 miles, with 3 sections of pavement, the longest being just under a mile.  I was happy to be on gears for this one, making sure that "Indy" was ready for the BTE.

The start was a super dusty bottleneck for about 1/2 lap.  Once I got through the masses, which included some carnage on the techy rocky sections, I was able to settle and just ride.  The first two laps were still a bit faster than I was told to ride, but I wanted to open a comfortable gap.

The next 5 laps were more consistent and "coach-approved."  I focused on maintaining a steady cadence and without too many power surges.  I was told not to race the guys, which was hard for me to do, especially when I could see "carrots" ahead.  But I just kept telling myself, "Just two more weeks and you can suffer your little heart out."

With a win secure as I completed my 7th lap, I was able to finish an hour early.  I felt a bit guilty, like I had not completed my homework assignment, but I was also tired of breathing dust and smoke (there was a forest fire on the other side of the river).

Thanks to Brad Cobb (Village Volkswagon) and Greenlife Grocery, I walked away with $500 and a nice clock from reCYCLE Jewelry.  And true to my word, I made a donation to the Raccoon Mountain trail fund.

I have always enjoyed Gone Riding's races.  They are kind of where I cut my teeth on MTB racing.  I look forward to racing the SERC series again in 2011.