So the time has come, I am ready for a 'longish' race. I never did the Stoopid due to schedule conflicts, but now I know better & put it as a priority to get to this year. Reasons why:
-run by Chris Scot, event organizer & government bike advocate extraordinaire (mtntouring.com)
-state college has some rocks, rocks, rocks. I want to see the 29er work some rocks in a hectic crowd. I mean...... if I can get the 29er to work some rocks in a hectic crowd;-)
-i feel like some hike a biking might ensue on this course, sweet. I need to push some running while toting my bike. meaning basically I've been a lazy ass & just need something motivating to do for once instead of the idea of looping through swoopy local park trails yet one more time. SHOOT ME!
This is a camp outing, so packed up I head north. Although registration was some 200 peeps the campground was not packed & quiet....just how I like it. A quiet night with some other Pgh peeps & then an early rise to Chris' gong wake up call, microphone voice, & cool tunes through the megaphone.
Starting line up brings RAIN. As if the recent rain hasn't left the rocks just wet enough we needed some more. As usual, CS courses offer a decent start with time for the group to break up so by the time you hit singletrack your kind of with peeps your own pace. Kind of....until they hit rocks....hehe. one by one peeps dab, and i grab a pass. Time goes by, I get to the 16 miles check where a friend tells me I am in 8th place. I somewhat doubt her for a minute because there are like 30 women registered, and I haven't seen any since the start, but she assures me most women have not come through yet. Hhhmmm, this gives me a little extra motivation so I head on out trying to keep up a pace. Soon I see CB with a mechanical she makes it clear she IS NOT fixing and is heading out. Poor CB, but bumps me up a notch as long as I don't get my butt passed. Back and forth with Jennifer Wolfson from Harrisonburg, soon she disappears....later I find out also a DNF not sure why.
Check 2 at 36 miles finally comes up, I run into Misty from Harrisonburg who must have been just right in front of me all day but takes some time at the check. She is on my tail as I leave, and as usual sets a pace just slightly faster than I can maintain......but just a little too fast for the upcoming flat potential long DH.....at the bottom she is flatted. YES.....I attempt to hustle a few minutes on her. It really does not work, later she is right back with me. I know she knows the course & most likely pre-rode the finish.
Rumor is from check 2 to the end is the fast part of the course, being more gravel road and just a few last sections of trail. If Misty crushes me here, my second hope is just not to get passed by anyone else. We get to the entry to the last final DH to the finish, I don't know the finish but she does and takes the DH. Ok with me because it started off pretty rough & her on full suspension and knowing the DH just took off while I took a bit to get my bearing on dropping off a few steep for me things. She pulls in almost 1 minute on me to the finish.
So I started and ended in 8th. Usually that is kind of how it goes for me, I am lucky to get & maintain any position & usually good at sitting right where I start. Overall out of 30 starters(although results do not show all the DNF starters), I was pretty happy with 8th and actually felt good, and for once actually liked the 29er today even on wet rocks!! Not sure what up with that:-) Congrats to all the Pgh & harrisonburg peeps that had a good day here!!
thanks CS for another well organized event!!
Results/info:
http://www.mtntouring.com/mountain/htm/home/page_home.htm
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