Not much elevation gain in the 20-mile loop that we had to do twice, but on the first little hill I was gasping and wheezing and watching my heart-rate climb into zones I'd never seen before. Just a low point in the cycle I guess. A few days before I'd been doing Pilot Butte hill repeats, and slapping myself on the back for feeling so awesome. But now, not so good, and somewhat nauseous, which I never get.
I pushed as hard as I could on the flats, and just tried to survive the little grunt-ups. There was some amusement from the other racers, as the heat appeared to be generating a high percentage of cranky people. I was 2nd in a group of 3 as we approached a somewhat tricky-looking but actually quite easy diagonally oriented log pile. I cranked it a bit to get some momentum going over it, when the guy in front of me got stuck or panicked and jammed on his brakes at the top of the pile, and I ram into his bike. Whatever, that's racing, right ? But this guy lets forth with a verbal spew of profanity at my transgression - like yeah I get my kicks trying to play bumper-bikes. I just ignore him, but not his jersey, which proudly proclaims him as sponsored by the bike shop who runs the race - hmm that's not good advertising. We'll call him ShadySide. The guy behind me now starts muttering at me in my defense : "I knew that was going to happen, c'mon, show him by kicking his ass in the race. Take him, let's get him !" Well he passes him eventually, but I have absolutely no kick, and plod along with the now growing line of racers. However 15 minutes later he does seem to be waning, and I get by him, which is somewhat satisfying.
Start the 2nd lap, which is no less dusty or hot. I am following 2 other racers, and figure out that they are in my class. They drift into the distance occasionally, but I always reel them in, though I am actually doing no reeling whatsoever and just trying to survive. Hmm, maybe they are a bit tired too ? DaveM appears behind me, also in my class. I ask him how he's feeling - "Great" he says. So I explain how I'm feeling like crap, and he should really pass me and kick the butt of those 2 other guys in our class ahead. He follows me for a while, then bursts ahead and gets by the other 2 quickly. Then I notice #2 ahead overtakes #1 - aha someone is weakening. I feel a stirring, and hmm what do you know, I appear to be getting my first wind, after almost 2.5 hours of racing. I get close behind weakening "Knock-knees", and as soon as I see an opening, I scooch off to the right of the trail into small underbrush, and try to pass. But the trail starts veering left, so looks like I have to abort. But wait, I can see the trail veering back right again, so I employ a little 'trail-cut' manoeuvre and cross through to the trail and get ahead. And what do I hear but a bunch of bitching from this guy about how what I did was not cool and I should only do 'proper' passing on the trail. Whatever buddy, I don't think this 40-mile race is going to be decided by a few feet, and what are you pissed that I circumvented your blocking manouever ? Yeah, so this guy is also sponsored by a local shop - hmm when you're wearing the colors I think you need to present a somewhat sunny disposition... of course now they think WebCyclery riders like to ram other racers and cut trails ! :)
I go off in pursuit of SkinSuit - you don't see many mountain bikers wearing these, and I guess it is more satisfying to pass a guy whose attire proclaims "I am so cool and fast they gave me this awesome looking skin-suit!" - and he's not too far ahead. I am starting to feel great and I really don't understand it. Maybe cuz the last half of the lap is mostly on a slight downhill. I catch up to SkinSuit on a dirt road, and squeeze past him just before the single-track begins, yelling "On your right!", as I get there half a wheel before him. Except, that wasn't really the start of the singletrack, just more doubletrack. Oops - man these glasses are dusty, I can't see a thing!:)
Next I see if I can chase down DaveM, and finally I see his dust cloud way ahead, and I'm gaining. 10 minutes later the gap is down to 10 seconds, and it's looking good for a showdown sprint to the finish. But then I come around a corner a bit too hot, the front wheel loses grip, and in a fraction of a second I am slammed down viciously onto the hardpack trail. Stunned at the suddenness and ferocity of this mishap, and surprised by the blood-flecked pain, I scramble to get back in the saddle as fast as possible, not knowing how far back SkinSuit and KnockKnees are. But my muscles are doing weird spasmodic jerking and cramping, and it takes a while to get back up to my previous velocity. Only a few minutes to go, and looks like I blew my chance to catch up. It's close, but at the end I'm 12 seconds short.
I get off my bike, and immediately both legs lock up - all I can do is stand there frozen, willing my muscles to relax, but they obstinately refuse. I ran out of fluids about 10 minutes ago, and I desperately need to get to the water station, which is only 50 feet away. After several minutes of stiff legged shuffling, during which I contemplate just throwing the bike down and lying in the dirt, I manage to get there, using the bike as a crutch.
Well overall an interesting race. Usually the 'feeling like crap' part happens near the end when you're wasted, but I got it reversed this time.
How some deal with the dust :
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