Sandy

This photo has absolutely nothing to do with this blog except I find it hilarious.

It was hot and sandy at Ft. Clinch for the Gone Riding race last weekend. We went over on Saturday to get in a few laps of practice and were surprised how dry the course was. I had been told by smarter, faster, charismatic, and more experienced riders that the trail was mostly hard pack and flowed well with just one sandy hill that would present a problem. I knew something was different this year as soon as I slid down the first little sand dune on the single track.

On race day the yellow wave got to stir up the sand even more before we lowly white wave riders got to it. The start on pavement was different and I clenched up as we all went for the same small space on the entry to the single track. Tires slid and I heard "oh shit!" as someone came across on the inside and almost took us all out. FF crashed in front of me 3 times in the first section, SA had seat issues and pulled off (he had gotten a first Tallahassee), and a rider named Dr. Ric (who had gotten 2nd in Tallahassee) hit the first log and flatted. I knew FF couldn't run up the first sandy hill with his bum ankle so we freight trained along till we came to it, I out ran him to the top and was feeling pretty froggy. The top four of us swapped places in the next section as we all struggled with the sand hills that I had no problem climbing the night before. FF got back by me before we hit the pavement but I still had visions of greatness.

Once we popped out on the road headed for the scoring chicane I got a lesson in pavement tactics as third and fourth place drafted by me while FF pulled away. I don't know why it was so hard for me to go faster on the road I just seemed to want to rest and couldn't get into any kind of pace. Anyway I was able to catch third once back on the single track just before the sand hill, after he had some tire problems, and once again settled into my "hey I'm on the box!" pace where I spend more time looking behind me than looking ahead. I was happy finishing third and once again I tried to imagine how another lap would have felt.

We have had a lady riding in our class this year (she may always ride it I don't know) who likes to keep the trail chatter up making us all smile while she comments on how we look from behind. She apparently got 5th so when we were posing for our podium photo she grabbed my leg! Take a look at the picture and you can tell she's scoping me out! Maybe this kind of stuff happens all the time in these big time bike races who knows? Even though this photo shows me in all my glory with the big medal and standing on the box and all, I really just put it up to show her. No really.

Rupe had a tough time on his last lap with two crashes but was still glad to be there; finishing just out of the gold in sixth. Instead of attending my podium deal he went and sat in the ocean. He keeps that up and we'll just have to see about that 9er he's been drooling over.