Big Bear

Oof - I'm tired after the three day stage race at the Big Bear Nationals this past weekend.

Day 1: Time Trial

We rode the chair lift to the top of the mountain so we could race basically downhill on fireroad and singletrack. I was second person to go off since they were basing it on 2004 National Series results. This was my first national of the year so I am ranked last. Well, the girl in front of me was up in the starting gate, the five beeps went off and she just sat there looking around, unaware that she was supposed to go. We were going in 30 second increments, so they told her to get out of line and they'd insert her somewhere else. She isn't moving and everyone is yelling at her to get out of the way. "15 seconds" the starter yells at me. I am yelling at her, she's confused and she finally gets out of the way, I try to get my bike up there and my feet clipped in but the beeps are already starting. AAHHHHHG So I'm off. I am feeling so smooth and clean, carrying good speed, very little movement, minimizing errors - I'm feeling good! Then about 2 miles in I hear this, "hissssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss". HOLY CRAP I have a flat tire! You have GOT to be kidding me. I hop off, it's the rear tire. I have 3.5 miles more and a few tech sections to go - I can't ride a flat. I spin the tire, trying to get Stan's to seal. STILL HISSING. I take it off the bike and try to find the hole. I can't. I shake some more, it's not sealing. Crap. Day's over. They gave me the slowest person's time plus 3 minutes for the day. I finally change the thing and roll through the finish line - extremely disappointed.

Day 2: XC

I'm last to be called up since I got last place the day before (DAMN FLAT TIRE). They have us do this crazy rollout where we ride through the expo, through the parkinglot, and around the neighborhood next to the resort - all the time following a Sherrifs car with flashing lights and siren. Everyone is chaotic and jostling for position - I move up about 20 places and then when the car pulls off we have a loooong sprint up the blvd and onto the course. Totally crazy. I start REALLY hard and it hurts. My lungs hurt, my legs hurt, my heart rate is way high, but I push on. We are in singlefile but I manage to make a few more passes at the climb. The first lap is ok - we are way strung out and I'm with a group of about 5. Then we hit the hike a bike for the second time and I drop off. I just can't hike as fast as them. So, I spend the rest of the day basically riding by myself. I'm in no man's land, though I can still see a few girls ahead. I'm beat, I have never been this tired, I feel horrible. I can't get my heart rate down and I just can't catch my breath. I push on. FINALLY at the last downhill I see a dude ahead of me completely BIFF it. He's on the ground not moving. I slow and yell at him, "You okay?" nothing. I yell again and he groans a, "I think so." I continue on but some girl flies past me then. I sprint and catch her wheel because it's a long flat stretch to the finish line. I stick to her tire and draft most of the way in, then on the last corner I sprint by. 26th out of 52. Not bad, but I know I can do better. I felt the worse I've ever felt in a race.

Day 3 is short track.

20 minutes plus 3 laps. The course is very rough. Starts with a climb, then a 180 degree turn into singletrack that is sawdust, bark, and loose dirt. Then a gnarly little chewed up corner down to the pavement for a spint around the corner to the finshline.

I get a decent start and the pain begins. There is a crash in the first corner that holds a lot of us up a bit, but I gain some places with some crafty manuevering. From there it is hard to get anywhere because we are so packed together in the singletrack. I look back and there are a good 20 people behind me. Passing in really hard on the back side because to pass you have to go in the thick, loose bark stuff and you can't get anywhere fast. I hang in and keep hammering away. For 15 minutes I push and push and push. I'm am so tired and everything hurts. I'm riding as hard as I can. I start to see people disappearing behind me - they are getting pulled. I push on. I make a pass or two, but then I get passed by two different people. Push on. I can hear the lead moto, and on a long stretch where the course passes itself, I see him but not the lead racers. Push on. I get to about 19 minutes and some seconds and our group of 5 gets pulled. Dammit, I almost made it. I didn't see the results yet, but I think I got top 20 in short track!

Originally posted by Lady Litton
Oh, man..... I was so looking forward to hearing about the time trial. That was your event!

Good job on short track! After 2 days of hard riding, you did well! I can't believe I didn't see you all weekend!

Friday: I did my 2nd DS race. I stayed in Expert even though I knew I was in over my head. Our class was small and with some luck, I qualified! I ended up 4 out of 4. It was such a long day. We had a few hours of DH practice in the morning, then DS practice, then DS qualifying, then DS finals at 5:30. The temps dropped that evening and the wind kicked up. Freezing!! We were on the mtn until 8pm, waiting our turn. Loooong day.....

Saturday rolled around and I took 2 practice runs before the DH race. My arms and legs were feeling pretty sore from DS. I guess I used a lot of new muscles. In my race run, I felt beat after the first pedal section at the top! Crap! My upper body refused to give me any extra through the turns. I kept decent momentum and didn't make any major mistakes, but I had to sit down at least 3 times, so I could save it for the hammer sections and the trees. I've never been this tired in a race, and had to talk myself out of it. "You're not tired! I'm tired.... You're not tired!" When I crossed the line I had to lay down. Dead! I was racing the local regulars. My time looked good compared to the last rider, but the next one pulled an amazing time and kicked me into 2nd. All in all, I wish I had more to give, but I'm happy with 2nd.

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NICE!

I didn't get to watch any other events, too busy trying to recover for my next ones.

This cracks me up: I've never been this tired in a race, and had to talk myself out of it. "You're not tired! I'm tired.... You're not tired!"

LOL - I know the feeling!

Wow, I DO look like I'm smiling. I'm not. I'm thinking, "Holy crap, can I make it another lap?"