Bedford County MTX Race #3

Sunday was the final installment of the Bedford Mountaincross Series. Let me start off by saying how much I thoroughly enjoyed this format. It was cool to have a short course and make laps. I liked the time limit on racing and I liked having everyone out at the same time. I guess if the races were much bigger, attendance wise, it might get a tad tricky. If we had had more than 13 at the race Sunday, it would have been a mess. I am proud to say that I did not finish DFL. I came pretty close, but managed to stay out of the bottom 3 even. It was like being that last person through on American Idol, phew!

This course was altered significantly from what Kenny wanted to do, and the change was necessitated by the persistant snow/rain we started getting locally on Saturday. I don't blame him a bit for changing it. I wouldn't have wanted to tear up the trails - it's bad enough what damage we did during the first race. The course itself wound up being just shy of a one-mile lap and offered varying terrain and challenges. We started off in the flat grassy area near the parking lot, skirted the edge of the lot on grass then headed behind the old nursing home where we had a short section of pavement. A right hand turn took us down the rocky, slick hill (same as first race). At the bottom, headed left through a soggy bottom. Then a slippery right onto a grass path where we pedalled until reaching the only set of barriers in this course. Hopped those then a right into the very muddy, wheel sucking flat part (was this in both previous races?!?). Next was the agonizing climb up the deer trail and like in race #2 veered off to the right and looped back to the start line.

Let's see preriding the course wasn't so bad. I was concerned about the downhill for sure. I was afraid of skidding out of control and landing on one of the rocks, as it turns out I gained more courage each trip through. The soggy bottom was entertaining to say the least. You pretty much went where the ground wanted you to go and keeping momentum up heading into it was important. Here I feared an endo, and only on my last lap (was going faster) did I nearly wreck - saved it before putting my foot down. The grass path was fun, it's about the only place where I felt like I was actually moving along. After the barriers I was dead. The mud just sucked the life out of you, so I had little if any momentum heading into the Deer Trail. I think I rode it partially 4 out of 6 laps. I know on the very last lap I just walked it. At the place where you veer to the right, I nearly slid off course and down the bank. It was snowing and the mud was slick. The other challenge became the pine trees who's branches started to sag with the weight of the wet snow. On the first lap they probably brushed the top of my helmet, but by lap 6 they were below chest high on me. But to top it all off, it started snowing right before the first rider went off. FUN!!!!

Like I said, it was a fun race. I really didn't start having fun with it until halfway through the 2nd lap. When I came through the S/F line the first time I was not happy. As the race went on, I got slower but had more fun. It was a hoot to ride in the snow. This and the mud has helped my bike handling skills. This race was challenging in that my glasses kept fogging up. I debated taking them off, but was afraid I wouldn't be able to see safely to avoid obstacles on the ground(yes I'm that blind). My cleats didn't get as gummed up this time or it didn't seem like it. And I learned the key to snow riding is to constantly brush the crap off of your tights. I stayed pretty dry and warm the entire race. My cheeks, chin and nose took the brunt of it. Consequently, I did have a mud mustache at the end of the race from trying to wipe my nose with my glove (yes they've been washed). Sorry I didn't get a picture of the mudstache for you. Oh yea and I can say the 18t did make a difference on the climbs. I got a bit farther with it on the Deer Trail when I was actually able to still ride up the trail. I think it's a keeper for now.

Speaking of now, once it warms up - the single speed is getting a new task. That being Commuter bike. I hope to be able to ride it to and from work some once the weather settles down. YAY!!!!

Oh back to the race. For this race I was 10th out of 13 and over all for the series I ended up 9th out of 42 riders. Not everyone raced all three races, of those who did I hold the slowest combined time at 3:08:57. I did complete 13 laps though! YAY, not bad for me especially consider it was the first time I'd raced SS and that format. There are pictures of the races - if you go to the Bedford Trails website, click the link for MTX series then race #3 photos. ENJOY!!!