Mid-East Harescramble

June 14, 2009

I meet Jim for breakfast before the race on Sunday. I am thinking he is a stud for getting up so early and riding from Atlanta after spending all day the day before at the lake.

I went riding the day before but didn't feel too tired. My cycling is really paying off lately.

While waiting KC introduced us to some new people he knows. Great guys and cool attitudes.

Pat drives in solo as he had KC haul his bike for him (ala Factory Rider). Of course, in perfect Tobin fashion he had just left a mini-triathlon that he completed in under an hour and fifty minutes... now he is going to race 2 hours in the woods in 90+ degree weather!

Now we know who the real stud is!

On the line Jim asked me, "why do we do this?"

We both looked around and did not have a good answer but we know we can't stop ourselves from racing every once in awhile. Sure, as I approach 40 the aches linger longer after a ride, the joints in the hands swell up and everything takes longer to heal but for some reason I still want to get out there when I can.

As the rows click off we watch Tobin running in Vet B for the first time chasing down his competition. Pat had a good race finishing 7th overall but ran 5th for the first lap and had some quick lap times. He made good use of his new KTM200. For a traditional 450 rider he adapted quickly to the 2-stroke style.

KC got the holeshot in his race, held on to 2nd most of the race and finished a strong 4th and a trophy!

Jimbo did well off the start finished 13th out of 19 in our class and got a trophy! Way to go Junglefoot.

Me... I had a horrible day but came a little closer to answering the "why?" question.

Off the start I was behind Jim and did ok through the clearing. I passed Jim and we came to a downhill and there was a bottle neck going up the next hill.

Not sure what happened, if I got hit or just brain faded but I fell downhill. I quickly got up but people were passing me. Then I hit the uphill and it was soft... like mulch. I could not get a good line and fell. Then fell again. In all I fell 3 or 4 times before getting up the hill.

The hill on the first lap wore me out but I decided to press on. I looked and it was obvious I was in last place completely but I figured I would push forward.

I fell a few more times on the first lap and came through lap 1 over 32 minutes and in 16th place.

Since there were 19 in my class I guess I passed 3 people along the way but do not know who. I saw some riders on the side of the trail exhausted after lap one or crashed so maybe they were the ones I got by because I do not remember racing anyone.

Lap 2 was better. I was getting my second wind but still falling more than I needed. The hill got me again and I lost time but put in my fastest lap. A good 5 minute improvement over lap 1.

I was still in 16th but pressed on, vowing to beat the hill only to fall twice and need a little help getting it off me on the second fall.

Exhausted I figured I should take it easy and then fell on a small hill and went face first into the crest hitting my chin on the lip and scraping it up.

Ugh. this was starting to be a horrible day but as I came through the scoring tent I had gained a position and was up to 15th and 2:33 behind 14th!

I figured I only had one more lap to go so I pushed forward.

I finally got up the hill on the final lap only to fall at the top! But I got going and was tired. I rested a bit in some sections and even stopped for a good period of time to catch my breath after the clear cut section that had a tremendous amount of stumps and off-cambers. It wore me out more than the single track but less than the hill.

Then on the last 2 miles something got into me and I went faster through there than I did the entire race. I felt good but do not know if that is because I knew the end was near or not?

As I came through the tent I saw that I had finished 14th in my class, Unlimited Non-Member (meaning any skill level)! Not bad considering how poor my first lap was. I was 110 out of 138 total and considering I started in last place I will take it. Oddly enough... I finished right behind Jim overall and in our class :D

I believe if I wouldn't have gotten so wore out on the first hill I would have put in some better laps but that really doesn't matter. I stayed in it and didn't give up. Even as slow as I was I moved up each lap.

Jim and I hit Ruby Tuesdays afterward for some grub and I guess we realized we just do this because we can and we enjoy it... pain, suffering, heat and all.

Either that or we are just stoopid.