Boulder Racing #1

Yesterday we raced at the Valmont Bike Park and when you race a new location in Colorado everyone seems to show up.

As you can see from the picture the clouds were holding rain but it never hit the ground. However the wind was in full effect. I felt it!

The race course was really fun and I would race there again without question. There were hills, awesome sandpits, two stair run ups, power sections, and lots of "pump track" type rollers. Those rollers were a bit hard for a big boy bike but I made it work.

At the start I looked around and felt a little intimidated. Some heavy hitters were lined up next to me, behind, as a matter a fact everywhere I looked I saw power. The wind was blowing straight into our faces at the start. I did not want to be the guy that pulls everyone through the wind I started slow and jumped onto Carlos wheel. Our first trip up the hill I attacked but when I got to the top I was spinning out! Brain came by with Carlos and Joe (who won). They started pulling away while I chased.

Joe and Carlos pulled away and were looking good. Brain and I battled back and forth for a few laps, but when I was

going up a hill with a strong headwind blowing in my face my lower back tightened up and I slowed. Brain gaped me. Soon Ben O. came by, he wanted help chasing but I just could not get the power to the pedals. I chased and kept the two in sight thinking that maybe the final lap I could close.

With 1/2 a lap to go Brain had a mishap and I passed him, leaving me to finish the race in fourth place. Ben finished 30 seconds up on me and Joe and Carlos put a couple minutes into all of us.

A had a blast racing with everyone on a really cool course. It helped me realize that I need to do some lower back exercises.

(The picture is myself racing through some cat 3s, Brain is in blue right behind me. The single speed category starts about 3 minutes behind the 3s. We often get into the middle of the pack 3s quickly, which can be good and bad)