TransRockies Race Report: Day 2

Monday August 10, 2009

Stage 2: K2 Ranch to Nipika

Distance: 75km

Climbing: 2835m

Official Time: 7:40:27

My Ride Time: 6:40

Temperature: 50-75 degrees

Today's start was at 8am, so it was an early wake-up at 5:30am for me. Zeke had slept in the van and I with my parents in the tent. With my IPod earbuds in, I had tried to drone out the crescendo of snoring. I am just not sure how good a sleep I had gotten listening to Black-Eyed Peas, Pink, and the Flobots; I had forgotten to download my Enya and Loreena McKennitt CD's.

I awoke with a positive attitude but with sore quads. Zeke also seemed determined to have a good day. After washing down eggs and pancakes with Kicking Horse coffee, we prepared to do battle. I hopped on Indy and pedaled around the campsite making sure all was working well. Crap! The front end did not feel right. After checking out my fork a bit more closely, I realized that there was a tremendous amount of stiction and it really wasn't wanting to compress through the first half of its travel.

So I hurriedly dragged Crash ('06 Specialized Epic) out of the van, slapped the number plate on and checked the pressures and suspension. Oh, well, surely 3 more pounds of bike wouldn't make that much of a difference, would it?

"Highway to Hell" came over the loudspeakers and we were off! The first 15km was fast. After descending off K2 property, we were on pavement for 10km. Zeke and I marked the leaders and stayed right on their wheel. Once we hit the gravel climb up the Fairmont Ski Resort, we settled in to a good tempo. The 3rd place team was right there also. After 5km we hopped on to the XC ski trail system; very tight doubletrack with a lot of ups and downs.

I was enjoying the pace and soon we had put some time on the leaders. Zeke and I had hooked up with the Tinhorn Creek Crush Club team of Keith and Mark. They were great guys and very respectable racers. I chit-chatted with them on this section.

On the final descent down the ski trail, Team Cox had closed the gap. We rode together on the next section of rolling doubletrack. Now it was Zeke's turn to talk to Hans and Giesla. He discovered that they were 63 and 61, respectively, and that back in the day, Hans was a world cup XC ski racer. Uh oh!

Once we began the steep rideable climb up to Checkpoint 1 (40km), Zeke began to slow, allowing Team Cox to pull ahead. At about 37 km, I grabbed Zeke's bottle and raced ahead to the checkpoint. I was feeling really good at this point, and whenever I asked my legs for a bit more power, they responded delightfully.

Checkpoint 1 was about 10m off the road up a steep rise. I hopped off the bike, ran up the hill, refilled our bottles, grabbed bananas, peeled them, ate 2, and ran back down the hill, and deposited our fuel at my bike. Then I ran back up the hill and grabbed more food, including cookies and bananas. The film crew was capturing this all on video. Zeke arrived soon after; I put his bottle on his bike and began stuffing cookies into his mouth. All the while, the camera is right on Zeke's face.

I tried to motivate Zeke to go, go, go because I had bridged the gap back up to Team Cox. However, at this point I think his knee was hurting him and so he took a breather. Meanwhile, Team Cox was pulling away. Doh!

Finally we were on our way, but Zeke's pace had slowed tremendously. I tried to encourage him, but he was not in the mood. So I settled on his wheel and let him set the pace. We made our way up to the steep, steep quad trail that eventually became a hike-a-bike up the debris torrent.

The Swiss team caught up to us here and seemed to put a little fire into Zeke's legs as he was not about to let them pass us. The hike-a-bike lasted about 300m and the trail off to the right into the woods was easily spotted (unlike last year, when so many of us hiked an extra 300-700m).

This 5-7km of singletrack was so much more rideable this year ... and fun! I cleaned most of the super steep seven switchback descent. Only when I was so far back on the bike that my butt became the rear brake did I get off and hike/slide down to an area where I could remount.

At one point where the trail became easier, I waited on Zeke for a bit. He was not having such a great day as those descents really messed with his knee. He told me to go on and just wait before the next checkpoint.

I rode alone until I caught the leading women's team, Team Nipika. I followed their wheel to Checkpoint 2. Zeke came rolling along shortly thereafter. After refueling, then came another grueling climb up to the Bear Creek singletrack.

I was determined to stay with Zeke on this climb, but he would have none of it. He shoo'd me away like a stray dog. I know his intentions were good; he wanted me to have fun and he definitely was not. So I relented and motored on alone.

This 11km section of singletrack I would say had to be the funnest of the whole week. Last year, it was pretty miserably muddy ... and slow. But today, it was so dry, it almost did not look like the same trail. After a short technical climb, I rode some flowy trail through a beautiful meadow. I got to witness the 2nd place TR3 woman do a face plant. I stopped to help, but she was o.k.; more embarassed than anything.

I waited for Zeke again on a flat section of trail and watched the 2nd, 4th and 5th place team go by. I shouted words of encouragement, but deep down I whispered, "You had better ride like the wind, for I am the cheetah and YOU are the gazelles!"

After a few more minutes Zeke came along and I could tell from the expression on his face that he was a hurtin' pup. I asked him to eat and drink which he did. He told me that anytime off the bike or mashing the pedals only aggravated his knee; it did not bother him so much while he pedaled at a higher cadence/easy pace.

He told me to go ahead and that he would see me at the finish. At this point, I knew I would wait for him at the third checkpoint, but I did not say this to him. Right now my focus was on catching the leaders in this last bit of singletrack.

I attacked the mountain, put my skills to the ultimate test, and had an unbelievable ride. Last year I probably only cleaned 60%; this year was an easy 95%. I slowly picked off the Swiss, blowing by them on a descent that they were walking. Next came Team Cox, also walking a descent. The Bike Doctors let me pass them on a techy, rooty section. Then I came upon Team Derailleur Noir, from Vancouver. I rode in their wake for a couple km; poor David, age 63, must have crashed 6 times. But he would just pop right back up and remount quickly. I cannot believe that he did not hurt himself. They eventually let me on by.

I rolled out of the singletrack in good spirits and asked the course marshall if I could refuel and wait on my partner without getting a time penalty. He said that was fine. In that singletrack, I had gained 3 minutes on Team Derailleur Noir, 5 minutes on Team Cox, 7 minutes on the Bike Doctors, 10 minutes on the Swiss, and 15 minutes on Team Nipika.

The crew at this checkpoint were from Brazil and they knew how to PARTY! Dressed in crazy attire, with tunes blaring from their pick-up, they cheered everyone on. I enjoyed hanging out with them, drinking Coke and eating watermelon, peaches, and bananas.

After 50 minutes Zeke rolled on in. I was still in good spirits, but the legs were a bit cold and stiff. After a couple more minutes, we began the 13 km rolling descent into Nipika and my legs quickly came back to me. Zeke seemed to do pretty well here, although anytime the road pitched up, I could tell he was hurting.

We rolled across the finish line together in 5th place, now 57 minutes behind 1st and 33 minutes behind 4th. My body was still feeling great. I still was hopeful that we could challenge for 4th or podium on an individual stage. After all, we still had 5 days of racing and shit could still happen ... hopefully just not to us. We already had our fare share!

Just praying that Zeke's knee would hold up and perhaps would miraculously improve.

Dinner tonight was lasagna, green salad, couscous salad, pasta salad, and bread. Mmm Mmm good!

TransRockies Race Report: Day 1

Sunday August 9, 2009

Stage 1: Panorama to K2 Ranch

Distance: 48K

Climbing: 2267m

Time: 3:58:30

Temperature: 60 degrees

Today's start was at 11am and both Zeke and I had high expectations for Team Specialized/Kudzu Mafia. We both had a good leg opener the day before in the Kootenay N.P. along a trail called Dog Lake.

I awoke at 6:30am. I could have slept longer but for my parents who were snoring in unison. Zeke was also doing at good job at making some noise; not exactly snoring, but more of a puffing of the lips.

At the start, we put ourselves in a position to be at the front. The parade lap around Panorama is at a furious pace and we wanted to be up with the leaders heading up the ski hill doubletrack. I was happily surprised to get a call-up, being last year's Open Women's winner; Lisa's name was also announced.

AC/DC's "Highway to Hell" was to be the start song for each day's stage. When the clock hit 11:00, we were off. Fast! No sooner had we hit the 12km climb to the top of the ski hill when my legs seemed to lock up. Not quite ready for this pace, I backed 0ff a bit to let my legs come back to me. Zeke was just ahead. After about 2km, I found my legs and set a comfortably fast tempo. I positioned myself just behind Zeke.

Shortly after the 10km mark, the Norwegian team of Giesla and Hans passed us ever so slowly. Zeke seemed to be slowing a bit, but no worries. After all, we had a long week ahead of us. With about 1km to go to the first check point/aid station, I grabbed Zeke's bottle and raced ahead.

I arrived and the Norwegian team (Team Cox) was there. I quickly refilled Zeke's bottle and grabbed several bananas. Zeke rolled in and we left with Team Cox.

From here there was an 8km technical section of singletrack that ran along the spine of the mountain. Lots of short hike-a-bikes interspersed with some sweet riding, both up and down, and along some seriously off-camber scree fields. Zeke took a little digger on one of the techy descents. We yo-yo'd with Team Cox all the way to the 2km avalanche chute descent.

This 30-40% descent was a quad-killer and knee buster. If you tried to ride it, you risked puncturing or falling for a L-O-N-G way! I could run it just about as fast as riding it. Unfortunately for Zeke, this section undid a 12 year old arthroscopic procedure on his left knee. Towards the end, it became pretty excruciating for him as I suppose his damaged meniscus was flapping back and forth in his joint.

Finally, we remounted our bikes and after a bit more singletrack, we hit check #2. Refilling on water and bananas, we tried our best to make up some time on Team Cox, who gained a lot of ground on us during the chute descent.

Zeke flew down this 10km rocky doubletrack descent. I was right on his wheel, all smiles. Once we hit Brewer Creek road (gravel), it began to roll for the next 5km. Zeke began to slow a bit, so I took the lead and tried to get him to fall in my draft. Yeah, I know I am not much to break the wind, but every little bit helps.

We rode through the edge of a hailstorm and got to experience marble-size hail pinging off our helmets and bikes. Luckily, this did not last too long.

Soon we were on to K2 property and dodging cow pies. At the top of the last climb, I could see "tent city" below us. I was eager to finish and enjoyed the descent in to the finish. I think Zeke was hurting a bit as I had to slow up for him towards the end.

We rode across the finish line together. Second place on the day, 15 minutes back from Team Cox. Indy, my Specialized Era, rocked today's stage; she was so light I flew up the hike-a-bikes.

It was nice to be able to hand off our bikes to Doug, my stepfather. From here on out he will be known as "the Bike Dougster." Mom had our post-race meal awaiting our arrival.

I felt great after today's stage. It was kind of like a long XC race for me. I was a bit disheartened about Zeke's injury, but at this point was staying positive.

The meals were 5 star. Today's dinner was sliced roast beef, mashed potatoes, broccoli, green salad, pasta salad, bread, fruits, etc. So much I cannot remember it all. The roast beef was melt in your mouth!

Tomorrow's stage was going to be heinous. We all made it to bed shortly after the awards presentation and photos/video of the day.

Despite his knee, Zeke and I were ready to challenge the Norwegians tomorrow.

That's Racing

As I sit in my hotel in Calgary reflecting upon perhaps the hardest race of my life, I am exhausted, frustrated, and determined.

Exhausted after racing 540 km, with approximately 425 km being wet, muddy, and bitterly cold.

Frustrated that our lead on Day 1 came to an abrupt end after Zeke took a digger on a wicked steep singletrack descent. That fall, followed by a 1.5 km hike-a-bike down an avalanche chute, finished his left knee off.

Determined that after 40 hours of racing in some of the most miserable conditions, my fitness will be at an all-time high for the Shenandoah 100.

I want to thank my parents, Mom and the "Bike-Dougster" for enduring some of the worst camping conditions. They took down and put up our campsite, in the rain, wind, and 40 degree temps each and every day. Doug spent 1-2 hours each day, washing and preparing our bikes for another grueling stage. Mom had hot coffee and sandwiches waiting for us at the end of each stage. And while Zeke and I slept in the van, they slept on the cold, wet ground.

After our competition put another 50 minutes on us on Day 2, the race for me turned more into a training ride. The bright side of this was that I was able to take more on the trail pictures.

When I get back home and after hugging my husband and daughter, cleaning all my wet and musty gear, taking 2 bikes to Bruce to be overhauled, I will post stage reports and pictures.

Until then ...

ORAMM Race Report

Wow! What a difference 4 years, an awesome coach, and a dry course can make! It is wonderful to reap the rewards of hard work and perseverance.

Zeke and I were honored to spend the weekend at Walter's cabin, along with his wife, Susan, and the Cowbell Dynamic Duo of Taylor and Connie. Saturday, I pre-rode Kitsuma. It was a good thing, too, as I needed to get back into the East Coast frame of mind. No buff singletrack in the Pisgah!

On Sunday, the race began with a neutral roll-out led by the North Carolina National Guard Humvee. Not too neutral, though, as the Humvee set a high tempo right from the beginning. Once we turned onto Old Hwy 70 and began climbing, the pace became vicious. I managed to stay up with the front group, pacing myself behind several guys. I knew that I needed to hit Kitsuma with a clear trail ahead, and avoid the line of walkers. I did and it was oh, so smooth sailing up the climb. I cleaned all but two switchbacks and those I just did a couple quick CX moves and was quickly back on the bike.

The descent was fast! I was feeling great and nailed the two technical ledge/root drops. However, I forgot about that first tight switchback to the left, the one with the big drop. I came in way too hard! Applying too much brake, when I dropped my front tire off the ledge, I went flying through the air. I just knew I was going over the embankment when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a small tree. I grabbed with my left hand in a Tarzan-like maneuver, managing to land on my feet, just off the trail. Indy, however, wasn't so fortunate. She catapulted off the trail and ended up down the mountain a few yards. I do believe I heard a few expletives from her.

Amazingly both I and my bike were o.k. I finished the descent off Kitsuma a bit more cautiously. It took a bit for me to find my rhythm again; I did not want another, more serious disaster to happen. A short, paved section took me to the first aid station. Not needing anything, I proceded into the next bit of singletrack.

Finding my rhythm again, I felt light on the climbs. My race was going very well; the bike and I were one. Have I mentioned just how good the Era climbs! I popped out onto some doubletrack which rolled along for quite some ways. It was very overgrown with tall weeds, which I kept wacking with my Ergon barends. I think by the time I had finished this section, I had cleared the trail for those behind me and had a rather nice looking boquet on each end of my handlebars.

Rolling into aid station 2, I grabbed a bottle from Connie. Now, she was expecting Taylor to arrive before me, so guess wh0se bottle I got? I did not realize this, as both our bottles looked the same, until I took a drink a hundred yards down the road. The ice cold water was a surprise, but very refreshing. I could only imaging what Taylor's reaction would be when he took a swig of the Glacier Mist Rapidade. (Later, Connie told me she had realized what she had done and fixed it)

Then began the 10 mile climb up Curtis Creek. Now, here is where I fell apart for a bit. Having gone out so hard in the beginning, my legs could just not find the right gear. For the first 7 miles, I kept changing gears. Back and forth, back and forth, nothing was comfortable. I would hop on someone's wheel to try to pace me. But then I could see he was hurting as well and would have to move along ... alone. Finally, with 3 miles to go, my legs came back, I clicked the gears down a few cogs and rolled along at a good pace.

At the third aid station, I grabbed another bottle and then enjoyed the 3 mile descent, even though it was a bit sketchy with all the loose gravel. The first two miles of the 4 mile climb back up to the parkway I was busy looking for that magical gear. Then the legs were back ... again. Upon reaching the bridge that was under construction, I was behind a guy whose legs seized up as he was making his way across the narrow ledge. (Now, looking back, it was quite funny.) He was unable to move and was moaning in pain. I thought he might just fall off into the creek below. But at the time, he was costing me precious seconds, about 60 of them. He finally was able to back track and let me procede. On the other side of the creek, I passed another racer who was writhing in pain, on the ground, with leg cramps.

The guys at aid station 4 were awesome. One grabbed my bike, the other helped me refill my Camelbak. They also let me know I was the lead woman. I thought I was, but it is always reassuring when someone else tells you. From there I climbed the mile on the Parkway; it seemed like 5.

The 1/4 mile hike-a-bike was good for me. It reinforced 3 things: my shoulder was 100%, Indy is so freakin' light, and I CAN hike-a-bike and like it! Once at the top, I began the never-ending singletrack descent on Heartbreak Ridge. What a blast! Well, at least for the first 3 miles. It was rocky, rooty, with lots of drops. It was beginning to wear on my upper body after 30 minutes. I even passed one guy who had cramped up! Never seen that before, on a descent.

After what seemed like an eternity I popped out onto the pavement. That was short-lived as I turned right onto another gravel road climb. Only 3 miles long, but it was a bitch. Ughh! Come on legs, work with me. The Heartbreak Ridge had taken its toll on my quads and it took them a while to come around.

Once I saw Kitsuma again, I could smell the barn! I think I flew up that climb just as well the second time. I did the CX maneuvers on the same two switchbacks and I remembered the haneous left-handed switchback ledge drop this time. I dismounted for that one and ran it down. I think that switchback claimed a lot of victims for I saw tons of skid marks that ran off the mountain.

I hammered it on the pavement back to Old Fort and crossed the finish line in 6:19:23; good enough for first, but just shy of the course record set by Trish. Doh! I guess that means I am going back next year!

After cooling off in the creek, I was heading back to the van to get changed when I saw Trish in riding clothes. I just assumed that she had ridden bits of the course watching Sam. But later I saw her name on the results. Holy sh!t! She place second, just 3 1/2 months after giving birth. She is insanely amazing!

Zeke had a long, but good race. His trail angel qualities led him to help an injured rider (Julia) off the course. What a man! What a man!

ORAMM was well organized, well marked, had awesome volunteers, and great post-ride food and drink. Todd puts on a high quality race and I am sure the Pisgah Stage Race will be the same ... cannot wait!

The Final Push

This weekend will be the last bit of prep work before TransRockies. Zeke and I will be racing ORAMM. This is where I was bitten by the endurance bug. Back in '05, soon after I met Zeke, he mentioned this "little" race in North Carolina. "Instead of riding around in circles on a groomed course, why don't you try ORAMM, where you can ride one big loop?" Zeke said. Sure, why not, I thought. It is only a little more than twice as long as the XC races I had been doing.


Well, 62 miles, 11,000 ft of climbing, and 7 1/2 hours later, after riding a 3-inch full suspension Epic, with rim brakes, a squiggly SID fork, and tubed tires with 35 psi, I crossed the finish line, thoroughly exhausted. Oh, yeah, it had rained, and parts of the course were so muddy, I thought I would slide off the mountain to my death. But Zeke had me, hook, line, and sinker. An endurance racer was born.


This time I will be going back with 4 years of experience, a wicked, fast bike, the Specialized Era, and 10 months of superior coaching. With a lot of hard work and a little Lady Luck, I hope to have a great race and give my body that last bit of max effort training before I head to Canada.


This whole year has been building up to TransRockies. Zeke and I will be racing in the 100+ division. Our goal is to podium. I am so ready! I could not say this last year, as I was skeptical of my self-coaching and I had no idea what to expect from a 7 day stage race. It appears that this year's course is very similar to last year's. Hoo Rah! I will know what to expect, can clue Zeke in, and I will know not to climb ALL THE WAY UP the avalanche chute on Day 2.


Thanks to my sponsors, I will have everything I need to perform at my best. Without them, the road to TransRockies would have been a lot harder. I probably would not have been able to race as much and my nutritional intake would have been subpar (i.e. less fresh fruits/vegies, more Ramen noodles).


Eddie of 55nine performance fame has fit my Era to me like Michael Jackson to his white glove.


Specialized, Ergon, Chamois Butt'r, and Swiftwick have all my body parts covered.


Dedicated Athlete has the perfect energy drink for me.

PowerTap has given me the tools necessary to convince me that, yes, my performance has improved.


Magura has given me the confidence to fly on the descents.

And, of course, Bruce, is always there to ensure my bikes are race ready.

17 days and counting...

Firecracker Race Report, Part 2

So, coming through the Start/Finish, after the first lap, I felt pretty good, or so I thought. I hopped back onto some singletrack which led back to the Boreas Pass climb. People (I think Erica and Josh) were cheering for me, which helped to get me pumped for the climb. I am Mrs. Consistency when it comes to laps, so I figured I would be able to ride the second lap aound 2:30 as well, especially since there would be less congestion on the singletrack.

The climb up Boreas pass went uneventfully. I was making about the same time as Lap 1. At Aid Station 1, I dropped my Camelbak and decided to run just water bottles. I figured I had enough calories left in my gel flask to finish the race.

But when I started the double track/singletrack climb back up to Iowa Mill, something bad began to happen (which has NEVER happened to me before). I was overcome with nausea and stomach cramps. Thank God I wasn't above treeline because I made a beeline for a large spruce ... and unloaded at both ends. After what seemed like an eternity, I forced myself to get back on the bike and soft pedal up the remainder of the climb.

I thought about throwing the towel in; well, for a millisecond, but once I got to the top of the climb, I started feeling a bit better. The descent down to Sally Barber mine and on down to French Gulch Road was a thrill ride; no people to pass, cramping was fading, and I didn't have to pedal.

The climb up Little French Gulch was painstakingly slow. I had to dismount a couple times as whenever I tried to power up, my stomach would remind me of what happened a few miles back. So I took it easy, crossed Little French Creek, and rode the flume uneventfully.

As I was coming into Lincoln Meadows, I passed a woman in my class, who was having a mechanical. Sweet for me, as I was back in 5th. Then just up ahead I saw Melissa. Knowing I did not have it in me to power past her, I went into "stealth mode," keeping a couple guys between her and I, and hoping my GI system would improve.

Climbing back up the road to Sally Barber mine, I began to feel the strength flow back into the legs. So, about 20 meters from the top, I said, "What the hell; let's see what I got." So I clicked Indy into the big ring and made a jump. I raced past her like a scalded dog. I knew there was about 1 1/2 miles to the singletrack, so I just hammmered. I felt for sure she would leap onto my wheel. But when I looked back after a minute or so, she was nowhere in sight. I did not let my guard down as I knew she was an excellent descender.

I passed a couple guys, hit the singletrack, and pedaled my heart out. Thankfully, I did not awaken the Gods of Spewing, and several minutes later, finished in 4th place.

All in all it was a good day. It could have been worse; I was just happy that there was not a DNF after my name. And I would not have changed how I managed the week leading up to the race for nothing. I had such a fabulous time with Zeke getting my Colorado singletrack fix in such awesome places as Salida, Gunnison, Crested Butte, and Breck. Memories that will last forever!

I am already trying to figure out how I can get back out there next year!

Firecracker 50 Race Report

Race day brought beautiful skies, cool temps, and thousands of people lining the streets for the 4th of July parade through downtown Breckenridge. The race would lead off the parade at 11am. No butterflies today! Just thoughts of having fun and finishing the race in one piece.

The 40+ open women class had 12 starters, with some super fast local (and by local, I mean Colorado) women. I was tired, but mentally prepared for a day of suffering. I was looking at this race as part of the bigger picture. I was going to treat this like a final stage of the TransRockies.

It was supposed to be a neutral start, meaning STAYING behind the lead-out volunteer, with a speed of 10mph, until we turned left onto Boreas Pass Rd. Then the race would be on. However, about half the field took off and proceded to pass the lead-out person. I stayed behind, as I did not want to be penalized or DQ'd. Not being from here, I was unsure of the rules.

But after I saw the group ahead of me getting smaller and smaller, I decided to go around the neutral start person, just before we made the left onto the climb. I took it relatively easy on the 6 mile climb up to Baker's Tank, hoping that those in front of me would blow up. I slowly reeled in several and upon hitting the singletrack, was in 6th place.

The first bit of singletrack was pretty mellow and flat, but to me it felt like I was still climbing. I soon found out that racing at 10,000-11,500ft was a heck of a lot different than riding at that altitude. Everytime I tried to hit the gas a bit to punch it over the short climbs, I sputtered. Not liking that feeling, I stayed in the saddle and spun it out as I had no "mashing" ability at this elevation.

This was the first race where I was passed quite a bit on the climbs by the guys. After what seemed like an eternity, the doubletrack topped out at the highest point of the race. From there there was some descending down some washed out doubletrack. When it came to descending on the first bit of singletrack, Nightmare on Baldy, I was stuck behind those same guys, applying WAY too much brake. So frustrating ... but that's racing.

Once we popped out onto the Sally Barber mine dirt road descent, I was able to get around them and one woman in my class. So now I was in 5th. After this super fun and ridiculously fast descent, I began the climb up the French Gulch. It started out easy and on doubletrack, but soon turned into singletrack and was wicked steep, with lots of loose shaley rocks. I was able to climb all but the last 20 meters or so, having to dismount, when several guys in front of me bobbled.

After I topped out on this climb, I was treated to some flat to rolling singletrack, the Little French Flume. This was fun, but would have been funner at 2000ft. I was still having trouble tunring over the pedals at speed. After this bit of singletrack, the course went up and down until it brought us back to the dirt road climb back up to Sally Barber mine. It was here that I was passed by Melissa, so I was once again in 6th.

After the 1 mile climb up to the mine, it was pretty much downhill to the Start/Finish line. I had an absolute blast on this 3 mile descent, especially once it turned to singletrack, with its swoopy, flowy lines. Not too technical, but it did have its share of rocks and roots. The final bit of singletrack into Carter Park was like a dual slalom course with its high banking switchback turns. Yee haw!!!

I may have been sucking wind on the climbs, but at least I could have fun on the descents and just let it go!

I rolled through the Start/Finish line with a time of 2:31. I was only hoping to do as well on the second lap, but my body had different ideas ....

To be continued ... (got a plane to catch!)