2014 O cup #3 - Sir Sam's - All about the rocks

My first time to Sir Sam's!   I loved it!
The terrain & course was totally different - more technical & rough & steep!  Like nothing I have raced before!

Pre riding on Saturday - first lap around - I found the climb up to be not as bad as it looked from the bottom, the twisty trails at the top to be pretty rough/rooty/rocky so really happy for full suspension, and the downhill to be really pushing the edge of my comfort zone for steep downhill switchback corners plus general steepness!

 And...one other thing...a BIG pile of rocks on a bmx section at the top near the chairlift that concerned me.  First lap of pre-ride I checked it out but decided to save riding it for pre-ride lap 2 when I was riding without stopping to chat so much and had more of a riding flow.  All I decided about it at that point was that it looked like the right side was the better way over.

Then pre-ride lap 2 happened with no chance to try the BIG pile of rocks. By then they were running Eliminator races and had the section closed off!  So....I watched a whole lot of people ride over it (mostly Elite riders who make everything look easy) and noticed that the line I was thinking to ride over looked best.

So I finished pre-riding Saturday thinking the start hill wasn't too bad, the BIG pile of rocks was concerning but I had a plan and have ridden so many piles of rocks lately (though not with such BIG boulders!) I was confident I could get over it, the twisty trails at the top were all good & fun, & the downhill I was respectful of & a touch nervous of.  Those double black diamond  & caution signs on the downhill trails were having full effect on me!

Then on Sunday....race day...

I had a terrible start!  Total opposite of Mansfield!  I was called up to the front row again (so cool - love lining my wheel up like that!), they said go...and a whole bunch of people zoomed ahead of me!  Bleah!!  So I had to settle in to climbing up the ski hill and try to pass whenever I could.   The past 2 O cups had nice wide start hills so easy to pass...this time it was not easy at all because the trail up was like a goat path switchbacking upward with just a few wider spots.   But...I was able to pass a few people on the hardest sections of the climb - there were 2 extra steep sections my bike made me climb faster - no jet pack super power - just because of having fewer gears -  I had no choice but to suck it up & pedal!

Yeah! 

Then it seemed like 2 mins later we were at the BIG pile of rocks.......and......

Oh yeah - I was pretty pleased!  And suddenly conquering those BIG rocks made me see the whole rest of the technical stuff on the course as fun instead of scary.  Especially the downhill & all those switchbacks.  Yahoo!  Still thinking about the downhill trail.  So much fun...and with all that the blur of a race still on....and another 5th place finish!

2014 Ocup #2 - Mansfield

Time flies when you're having fun!
Ocup #3 at Sir Sam's in Haliburton was last weekend (June 9)...which reminded me I hadn't reported on #2!

So before I write about Sir Sam's... here is my Mansfield story...

Waiting in the start pen...I was feeling hyper & anxious to get the yucky first hill climb over with.  In case you haven't been to Mansfield it's on the escarpment and the start is always straight up.  Every year my fitness has improved and the climb has been a little less awful...so I knew it wouldn't be as bad as last year but racing hard straight up it is always tough!

I made sure to get there in time to get a good start spot - I didn't want to start at the back again like the first Ocup. And then the coolest thing happened...because I finished 5th last race...I got called up!  My first time having that happen!   I lined my tire up in the front row right next to Michelle.  Hee hee.  It's on baby!!

Go time!
 So cool like never before I felt powerful as if I had a jet pack on or something.  I just pedalled strong & even changed gears a couple times for more speed (harder! going up? yeah!) & found myself on the back wheel of super fast Shannon.  2nd spot all the way up to the singletrack...the whole rest of the pack behind me...WOW!  Even cooler than getting called up...having everyone behind me on the Mansfield start hill!

Then we hit the singletrack.  I was trying my best to be smooth, flow,....breathe....I couldn't breathe....Shannon was so fast in the trail!  So awesome.   I was so totally cooked from my super fun & awesome start hill bonanza.  The rest of the race was kind of a blur while I paid for killing it at the start...trying to not lose too many positions... (my sad snail speed through the feed zone wasn't helping).  Definitely not the smartest race tactics...or maybe not too bad??   For sure was fun & good for another 5th place finish!

Happy & barely standing up spent!