The first race of the year began in typical fashion. Rain, mud, and cold temps. The moisture misted down all morning. By race time the sun had poked out just enough to bring up some rumblings from the start finish line and then quickly disappeared. I lined up for my first Single Speed sport race. I had done one six hour race on a single speed last year. Binder Lake is a great spot to ride a single speed.
So the gun sounded and we were off. The guy who took off in the lead took a horrible line through some trees and we were all zigging and zagging trying to not hit trees and each other. Why he did not lead up the road and then drop in at the trail I will never know. I believe I hit the woods in 3rd, but most likely 4th. The pace was high and the trail was a bog. Two DRJ guys set the pace and I hung on bitterly for the first 3 miles. The mud was too much. I looked down at my heart rate and was pushing 180. I had burned so many matches keeping up through the first two miles of mud I had to reel it in a bit. Two guys passed me at this point.
The next couple of miles things got better. The feeling of puking on my handlebars started to subside and the trail was getting into some rockier conditions. In fact when the guys in front of me hit the rocky soil before me, I could hear them war-hooping up ahead. Screams of joy quickly turned into concern for another rider.
I caught up to Loreen Mattson, an expert women challenger, and was following her for a bit of downhill. She knows how to handle a bike in these conditions. Loreen hit a dip and I am not sure if she hit a rock or just washed the tire out and went down hard. I could see two trees about baseball bat size smack her in the upper chest and near the head. I was truly concerned having seen it all from behind. Staying with her until she regained her senses may have put me out of a third or fourth place, but I am not here to win championships and hope that someone would stop to see if I was okay if I was in her situation. She hit those trees so hard that her visor flew off her helmet. I was glad to see she got up and rode on and placed second in her category.
The race became more of a ride for me at this point. First lap was finished and I could still see some of my challengers in the woods ahead of me. I did not have the desire at this point to chase so I just throttled things back knowing that if I suffered through 3 more miles of mud I could enjoy the last half of the course. There were so many back and forth creek crossings, a ride through a culvert, and some dippidy-doos to be had on the second half of the course. Mike Barro asked me how the race went, I told him "I was only a few minutes off the pace the first lap." Then he asked about the second lap. I said, "More of a nature ride, Mike." He just laughed.
Caleb Hulsey put in a good show for Momentum, winning Sport 20-29 while Brian Busken ripped out three laps using "The Swede's" training principles. Barro won expert in his age class, racing against himself. Not a bad day, considering. We wrapped up the evening by heading the CB Joe's BBQ near St. Francis State Park. Good BBQ and BIG portions. Overall, I have nothing to complain about. 6TH place in my first SS race. I know my form is not there yet and this was a good gauge to see where I am. Lost Valley is the next test.
