Two Wheel Blogs

I swear I'm missing that one gene that makes someone not do dumb crap. I do it all the time. In fact as hard as I try, I still connot mannage to not get myself invovled with a bad decision.

This decision came yesterday when I was testing out my gear set up. The test was fine, muddy, but the gears where spot on. BUT on the way back I decided it would be a smart idea to test out my wheelies and manuals. Now keep in mind I ran out of the house without gloves, I didn't want to run back in I was too lazy. So here I am wheelieing all over the place when I decide to pull it up hard and fast, resulting in me sliding off the back. Of course I had to be doing 15 mph on a concrete path. The result, somme real nasty scrapes, two jammed wrists, and a nice galge out of my palm. It was stupid, and by far the second worst wreck as far as pain, second to my dislocation.

So of course my first race of the year had to be today. I went to bed only knowing I would make the call to race or not in the morning. I could barely move either wrist, and they hurt like hell. I woke up to stiff, but moveable wrists, and decided today would be a 3 hour training ride of severe pain.

So I packed up and hit the road about 8:30 to head to Clinton Lake, just outside of Lawrence, KS. I arrived with what I thought was about 30 minutes before the start. Well I guess they had to do some re-routes and we didnt get started till 12:30, an hour and a half late.

There where 8 of us in the Marathon Class. We started, and right of the bat 3 of us wreck in the first muddy corner. I think we all took this as a sign that today was not going to be a cakewalk. I immediatly put down a little surge and caught the wheel of the guy in first. The course today consisted of maily road, fields, and a bit of grassy singletrack. Not any classic singletrack at all... but it was the rain route, so it was to be expected. The did however included the giant grassy hill and downhill again this year. Props on that, that hill is a lungbuster and today a complete pain in the arse.

So I rode with this guy Nate from Columbia. I don't remember his last name at the momemt. We stuck together and rode at a slightly faster than liesurly ride for a lap. I passed him on a hill on lap 2 and was ahead by about 20 seconds coming into the 3rd. I stopped and downed a hammer gel, and half a water bottle of heed. You see I also forgot to put my water bottle cage holders on my bike. I needed to transfer them but forgot. I only put heed in the waterbottles so I had to pit stop every lap except for the last lap. Well I booked off, and that when I started a heart palpitation. My high heart rate began in the beggining and didn't stop till I was able to stop on the next lap and take a break and eat half a pb and j sandwhich. My heart rate was well over 200 for the portion of that lap. It drained me, but I was able to come back and finsh strong. But I had lost 5 minutes in the process to Nate who took 1st.

For the next 3 laps I chased him down, and coming into the last lap he was only a minute away. I didn't catch him, he stayed strong, and I was beat. The easy course meant I didn't have to worry about the wrist much. It hurt, sure, but so did riding in that muck. I put on a Small Block 8 rear tire, and a Michelin on the front. Both from Unit, and they did alright. They where fast, and did about as good as on could on this mess. They only slipped in the nastiest of the nasty. So about 20 percent of the time..

I was more than pleased with my results, and happy I got the brutal training in. All and all I put in just under 4 hours of riding. Somewhere around 30 miles.

There was a decent crowd, with about 10 Jeff City racers, btw Barry ended up 3 in marathon, on his SS. I pray to god I'm as athletic at Barry's age. He's a beast. Then there were the guys from the lake, always a pleasure. Here are some pics of the wreckage today, after I cleaned it off as best as I could with a stick...

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