Oakridge Series Finale

It's the last race of the 6-race series. Best 4 results count, and I was sitting precariously in third place. Now there's at least half-a-dozen racers in my Expert 40+ class that are a level beyond me in fitness, and usually finish 10-15 minutes faster in a 2.5 hour race. And they all showed up today ! The organizer even recognized this showdown, and put them all in the front starting line so they could duke it out. Well hopefully another half-dozen slower riders showed up so I can finish mid-pack.

The weather is nicely temperate : low 60's, much better than the 100F we suffered through last year. The expert course is basically 2 laps. Start on some double track, then onto winding flat single track, then up the Wall, a steep fire road climb that usually separates the men from the boys. The first time up, go all the way to the top of the mountain, and enjoy a fast but buttery smooth old-growth descent. Then down some tarmac and miscellaneous trails, and start the 2nd lap. But this time don't have to climb as high up the Wall, and get to take another fun steep winder down. The Sports and Pros do this fun little techy grinder section on the side of the river before they do the wall. This is my kind of trail - rooty, rocky, and slippery - I can make some ground here... But today have to stick to the mostly smooth stuff.

Well the race was relatively boring, so I'll be brief. The most exciting thing was this innocent looking puddle that ended throwing up a buttload of mud (with a cement-like consistency that was very difficult to remove later). With the low temps I didn't get that tomato-head phenomenon I experienced last year, and finished the race feeling pretty fresh. In fact, could easily have done another lap - so conserved a bit too much I guess. Most of the 'Group of 6' finished in a clump about 7-10 minutes ahead of me. But #6 was only 30 seconds ahead. Hmm, I wonder what it would take to get 10 minutes faster in a 2.25 hour race, and win against this group. Lez see that's an improvement of 7.5% - seems like a lotta work. Spending $ would help! From some tests I did last year, 5 lbs of extra weight costs you about 5 minutes in a 2.5 hour race with a normal amount of climbing. So if spent like 10 grand on an uber light bike that would buy me a few minutes :) (in fact I overheard that #6 guy talking about his bike a few races ago - some 21.5 lb full suspension model he imported from Europe - we're talking 5 grand plus for that). But what's the weight of a full water bottle ? A lot of these guys only carry 1 per lap, and get a hand-off. Anyways, I don't care that much... only 1 more race to go and then can get back to slacking off and riding for fun.