Waking up on Sunday morning...with mixed feelings about this love it/hate it race. I race for fun. I wasn't sure this was going to be much fun. For sure going to be the hardest Mansfield race ever.
I totally know for sure I can ride this race and get it done. When I first started racing just finishing in general was a huge accomplishment for me. Even just last season that was my main goal for 2 of the O Cup races.
At Buckwallow - 1st time - pre-rode & didn't race. Too scared. 2nd time - pre-rode & raced but hiked most of the big rock sections. Still scared. 3rd time - last summer - raced and cleaned ALL the big rocks. Not scared anymore but still careful. (especially because it was wet!) Did not care how I placed. Got it done as fast as I could and was totally proud.
At Duntroon - 1st time - did not pre-ride (very dumb). Just showed up to race & DNF'd - the course was tough! 2nd time - last season - no way I was going to not finish. Pre-rode lots & totally finished!
But now I don't want to just 'get it done'. I don't want to just 'go for a ride'...I want to race as hard as I can and leave everything I have out there which is what I've always done.... except now part of the fun for me involves racing the race instead of just riding the course. Which is all totally new to me.
Fun and exciting. And mental. So very mental.
My awesomely supportive husband was taking care of the kids breakfast, etc. while I got myself sorted out & out the door. Brekkie, coffee, bike, stuff, bye to the fam...drive up. Don't think so much just do it. Arrived. Parked.
In the 45 mins or so before the start I became calm because just arriving and being with my fellow mountain bikers I already started having fun. I love the people I ride and race with. I chatted with lots of the other girls racing with me and we all felt the same way about the course. Already I felt better. One girl in particular has been recovering from a serious injury and just getting back to racing again. Both of us were discussing how we were not in a hurry to race up the yucky start hill so we relaxed at the back. I shared my downhill switchback fear...she rocks technical so would have no problem on these...so our deal was if I could catch her I could follow her down. Awesome. If I'm up with her at that point I will be stoked because she is an amazing and fast rider. If not, I'll just carry on...
So funny thing the race started...and I started at the back of the pack. Spinning up - not killing it - but going strong - and passing people...cool...more people...cool...weird this awful start hill wasn't totally kicking my butt...staying calm pedalling strong & fast & thinking smooth thoughts (90 rpm thank you Zach!)...and ready to execute my little plan from pre-riding...PIN IT at the top!
Right there my whole race was awesome. I actually had gas in the tank to pop into big ring and pin it at the top of the big start climb! WAHOO! Such an awesome feeling!! Passed a couple more people, in & out of singletrack & double track, getting passed back too...and passing again (all this passing stuff is new to me too...so exciting I have to be calm...). Coolest part...all I'm thinking now is where is my switchback friend.
Aha! I caught up to her! Yes! And we are together on the snowmobile track wall hill...so I will be able to follow her down the switchbacks. Sweet. Next plan falling into place!
Down we go - turn, turn, turn, cool I'm riding them! Until someone a few bikes ahead (we are in a train of bikes going down) messes up and tips/stops so up the chain the stoppage goes...including me...oh well I made way more turns than I thought so totally happy. Hiking down...a bit to get back on. Can't clip in. A bunch of people pass me while I'm fooling with my pedals. Fooey. Missing my eggbeaters again. Riding the last couple and the bottom with free feet is freaky but I do it anyway to not get left too far behind!
Get down to the road still trying to clip in. Banging my shoes on my pedals...not very speedy...but got to get clipped in for all the climbing coming up - at least as far up as I can go!
Start in to the hiking hills. Up we go. Why did I bother worrying about being clipped in...I'm out pretty soon after...on the bike off the bike a couple times getting the hills done. All the time close with 4 other girls.
People are on the sides cheering & encouraging us and telling us the guys ahead were hiking these parts too. I wanted to thank them for this info but could not speak! Working too hard in the middle of a hike-a-bike race!
The 4 of us girls were totally close in speed. So new for me in the past I was mostly on course alone. The next lap felt like a blur. The same nasty hills, switchbacks, but with passing eachother back and forth, encourgaing eachother for a nice climb or whatever section (nice!). So much fun. The whole rest of the race we were together. Right up to the end. And I learned I need more gas for a stronger finish! They all got in just ahead of me - very cool to be in a close race. I was in front of our little group quite a few times but of course the only time that counts is at the finish. Nice job girls!
So the tally of Love it vs Hate it post race:
Hard and Fun = Love it wins!
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