Rhett's Run at Cosmo Park in Columbia, Mo. turned out to be a test of will and desire. I expected that there would be a challenging and determined field at this event, the Fat Tire Series State Championship. The true test for me came with the conditions encountered during the race.
Christian Stitz, Keith Weinkein, and myself went to Columbia the Sat. before the race to pre-ride the course. The track was fast, the ride was fun and we were all looking forward to a great race course for the State Championship race. Tight, twisty downhills, hairpin uphills, and plenty of roots and rocks to keep you focused all day. After preriding, I kept coming up a mile short on my computer of the published race course distance. I found out on Sunday's warmup ride that we missed an entire section of switchback climbs.
Sunday morning came and I had the usual pre-race breakfast of pancakes with honey and maple syrup and a soy protein shake. I loaded the VW and faced overcast skies all the way to Kingdom City before the first sprinkle hit the windshield. Looking at the radar, I saw a huge storm right over top of Columbia. I remembered reading, Rhett's Run was "rain or shine". When I arrived at Cosmo Park it was sprinkling. The pre-ride with Jay Wright and Brad McLaughlin went smooth and was not too muddy. The only hiccup was the section that was "new" to me.
Heading back to the car to get some food and clean up the bike, I ran into Team Trail Monster, who I would like to thank for all the encouragement during the race. The cowbell was awesome. As soon as I cleaned up the bike and settled in with a peanut butter and nutella sandwich the skies opened up and it began to downpour for another 20 minutes or so.
The start of the race was without rain but the course was slick. In the first lap I witnessed or was a part of at least five pile-ups, with the last one leaving me in 8th place, stuck, with no place to pass. I thought my race was over. On the second lap, the field was spread out and one by one I was able to make some passes. I saw riders with mechanical issues and fatigue issues. I came up on Brian Busken on the second lap from Momentum doing the marathon class and he graciously pulled me up that last hill before the field. Crossing the start/finish line at one hour the race organizers sent me out for a third lap.
By the time I headed out for the third lap I had only 3-4 gears left. I had so much mud and grass in my rear cassette that the chain would not take hold, all the while I was trying to keep just enough pressure on the pedals to keep the wheels rolling without my chain binding up because of the adobe rear derailleur. At one point I had to throw the bike down and dig out as much of the mud as possible before I could continue. Climbing the middle section of switchbacks, I just kept telling myself, "good lines, steady pedal, and finish strong". I did not know where I stood in the standings, only that I had not seen another number from my class in quite a while. Climbing a section that gives you a peek of a downhill ahead, I looked to my right and saw the guy from the Czech Rep. coming down. He was maybe a 1/2 mile ahead. A few minutes later I rounded the corner and there he was putting his back tire on.
I crossed the finish line in first place that day. No flats, three gears and a lot of mud. I thought, not bad for a guy who wanted to stop after the first lap. I am glad I didn't give up and pedaled through the pain and did not let mechanical issues end my race. Race day intensity along with some extra strength from friends and family pulled me through. A special thanks goes out to my new fiance, Michelle. She could not be at the race but was in my thoughts all throughout. A Toots and the Maytals song, She's My Scorcher, popped into my head halfway through the race and stayed with me the rest of the way. Thanks for the strength, baby. Rhett's Run was a great experience that I will take with me to all my future races. Never give up!
