Rode this for 4 laps. Ryan and I got in 9 laps or so. We could have done much better. I could have done more, but I'll explain in a second. I'm actually kinda upset at my first lap, and the crash that ensued causing my day to get all borked up. No excuses though the crash was entirely my fault for being cocky.
First of all, that initial climb is just long. Its not intense or anything, just long, but I was on a SS and I was leaving along with a lot of fresh legs, and I found myself powering by people. I stood and cranked the entire thing really hammering my way to the top. The next little bit in there was some flowing single track, downs ups, downs, nothing crazy, some rooty sections but nothing I didn't just light bike my way over. Everything was holding up fantastically. I was getting more confident by the second... and continuing to pass people.
Into the first climb after the 5km mark. I got up this on my bike the first time. It was really rooty, but I've developed a very very bad habit of leaning WAY over my front and pedaling hard. I blame spin classes for this. I manage the hill but I'm actually gassed at this point. Not out of energy, but kinda light headed and kinda not really paying attention.... note, there is a big drop at the 8km mark.
I get through the next climb as well and at this point I have thrown everything I have at this course, into the down, and I think its going to be flowing and peaceful.... this is why you pre-ride.
Half way down, there's a shitty root section and a big dip.. and I'm leaning over the front. Full rigid means no contact except for on the other side of that dip, and I'm wondering why people in front of me are getting close fast..... ASS OVER TEAKETTLE. I hit hard. Like hardest crash so far since picking up biking. I check my bike over. My abs are on fire, and my knee is already showing signs of swelling. Not good. Get on my bike, and continue to push, surprise there's a lot of UP after that, and into the Solo area.
I take my time through here and assess how much damage I've done to myself. I'm kinda worried about my bike as the front has developed some weird chatter, but at this point now I realize I've cut myself on my torso as well. No head damage, and my knee is sore and swelling.... what comes after can only be explained as the biggest fuck you I've ever received.
The hill I stroll up to next is impossible for me to ride a SS up. I know it immediately when I see it. Its steep, its rooty, and its got a 180' switchback right in the middle of it, and it goes on FOREVER. I get off my bike half way up and walk the rest.
After this hill comes a single track flow and then into another downhill. I"m gassed, I'm hurt, and I'm not thinking, and I go into it without much thought, again, huge potholes in the steep fast down, and there are people everywhere who have crashed on it. I manage to hold the bike together, pop out the sandy road downhill to the exchange, pedal my ass off *haha SS* and then pass the keycard off. I'm hurt bad.
Head to the tent, Erika gives me a gatorade, and a clifbar. I down it. I head to first aid. The nurse tells me that I might have some insane injury. I tell her I hope she's wrong. I get ice, I pack it down. I wrap my leg. I pray.
Ryan comes in from his lap. This is where things go to shit. We WERE in 4th, our average lap times were actually really good. My knee is screaming though. Ryan has to do a double. He takes a 20 min break, and heads back out. During this time. I'm icing and massaging my knee like the armageddon is coming. I've worked out way to F'n hard and eaten too many goddamn salads to get knocked out this early. I'm not going home. I wrap my leg up, and I swap off when Ryan comes back.
The next lap I start off on that hill just pedaling and taking my time. I'm still faster then some on that hill but not a lot faster. I make sure to get to the top of the hill at a good pace but very calm, and with a heart rate that's not booming. This time through I pick my lines very carefully and really try to flow through the trail without being a goddamn Sasquatch. I notice that I'm much smoother, and actually WAY less tired, I also notice my knee is alright, sore, but its holding up well.
I pick my lines, I'm way more careful, I come up to, and pace a solo rider for a bit, pass around and continue. I get to the same down, I pick my lines, slow down, and make it out no problem. Again, doing the same with the second down. The second down was comedy cause I found a line that allowed me to ignore EVERYTHING. So I took it instead.
3rd lap, same thing.
4th lap, my calves went into fits before the second hill.
I finished the 4th lap, and Ryan was done. He said I could do a double. I quit at that point fearing my calves. On the otherhand.... looking back now, I should have given it a go. I coulda taken my time and finished for another lap putting us 2 ranks higher.. FFFFFFFFuu.
It was a good eye opener for me. I need more technical training. The fitness is there, but I learned the hard way that you can't just roll over everything with the setup I have. I'll actually consider a full sus bike in the future as those guys just hoverboated through the downs.
Was a good day over all though. Just wish the crash didn't happen.
OH just FYI. Trek had a bunch of demo bikes there. Including a $7000 full carbon XC bike. You could take it, crash it, and they didn't care. So that was actually very cool of Trek. Makes me think about looking at Trek for a Super D bike.
All my times were relatively close to eachother, low 40s. Some of the top racers were in the high 20s low 30s. That's pretty intense.
Things I learned:
1. DO NOT SIT SO FAR FORWARD, YOU WILL GO OVER YOUR BARS.
2. Pick your lines properly.
3. Full rigid bikes require way more thought riding then full Sus, this is actually not a cool thing as it can get you into trouble.
4. Singlespeed is progressively harder and harder as the race goes on... and while I said SS is just as easy to ride... I should probably just keep my mouth shut, cause once you get into some of the areas where you're climbing forever... I was praying for a granny.
5. Singlespeeding and full rigid is fun as all hell.
6. People can tell what kind of hub I have on my bike by the sound... that's kinda cool.
7. Flowing single track with good skill doesn't require you to pedal much if you pick your lines right.
8. My times didn't have much variation to them... which was awesome.
I wanna thank my wife for giving me time to train, and I want to thank my cousin for coming and feeding me Gatorade and cliff bars. Also for comic relief as I was raging hard about my knee.
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