Well today was an absolute blast, the trails were fantastic and flowy but it's funny at Sparrow. The highlight of my day was nothing to do with my race, it was watching the kids race before we got underway. I rocked up early and was registered by 8.15am so the compulsory part of the day was over it was time to relax, so I sat in the car people watching, looking at bikes and just generally chillin' and killing time. A light drizzle rolled through from the time I arrived till about 20 mins before we started so it was good for settling the dust.
Kid's Races
About 1/2 hour before we were due to start they commenced running the kids races. It's always fun watching these guys race, they get this serious look on their face just like real racers before the start. It's interesting trying to pick the future champions, or just those that will advance in the sport. The first race was the real little kids, the category covers such abroad range of ages so there was one kid being pushed by dad on a tricycle with a handle, another riding one of these (couldn't go as fast on the flat or uphill but he knew how to rip the downhill part of the course to catch backup!!!)
The other race that stood out was the under 13's (I think), there were two kids who stood you above the rest and took of on there laps. One was on a single gear and other a geared bike, however it was the one on the single gear who was quicker, he was flying! The other child had just stuck it in one gear and was rolling it round the course, he got gapped off the start line and wasn't jumping out of the corners but he wasn't going slow either. So with one lap to go the first child get caught behind lapped traffic and other kid catches back up. This being juniors no pointy elbows or pushing so these two are stuck behind the slower riders on the final lap just waiting for the final corner to sprint to the line. Now you can see the faster kid getting all twitchy and gearing up for the corner, and other just having no clue and trying to workout what to do. So they hit the final corner and the fast kids gone...across the line, while other just winds the gear and gets rolling again. But and here's the twist instead of crossing the finish line he starts to hook left cause he wants to do another lap! What is this kid going going to be when he gets older, yes that's right folks ...........a 24hr rider
And Now Back To Your Regularly Scheduled Program
Getting back to the focus of the day, there was a whole lot of standing around before the start. The senior men did an extra 8km loop before the other categories started so we all stood around in the cold for about 20 minutes before the start...getting colder. So senior men go back through the start loop and they release the old bastards(Vet Men), senior women, and finally Sport B.
Lined up front row, but wasn't really aiming for the holeshot just a decent run at the first corner. "Sport B men 10 Seconds!" then "GO!" and we are off. It still amazes me how some people just can get their bike in the right gear to get off the start line. It's always the crash of gears about a second after the flag has been dropped.
So downhill run to the first corner and I'm threading way through riders, second into the corner and first singletrack section we're moving but not fast! Nashing of teeth, fire road, single track, fire road and I manage to jump the guy in front.
Free to fly banging through the gears, bunting! Which way? "Oh shit right, right right turn!" Hit the anchors just managing to make the corner and we're off again.
Long story short I manage to lead the category for the first third of the race, passing people left and right just having a ball! Guys start passing me about a third of the way through, first one then two and finally another couple. Not stressed I know we're only a third through so I'm comfortable and in the rhythm. Guys that are gapping me through the corners I'm catching back up anytime it goes uphill, still strong still trying to be smooth.
About two thirds of the way round I realise somethings different, not quite right?!?! It takes me about a minute to work out what it is. I'm riding with a stupid grin on my face, I'm really having fun and enjoying this, I'm not suffering, I'm not on the rivet and just rolling having fun. This is the first time in along while where I've felt like this and certainly never when racing a road bike.
Coming towards the finish there is a tangle of two seniors and a junior I stop to make sure everyone is alright rather than blow through. Everyone's OK and it's a nice roll through to the finish.
Looking at the results I'm actually missing but going from my finish time I would have been 6th, or 4th if I didn't stop at the bingle just before the finish.
Tale of the Tape
Looking at the HR file afterwards I way riding at an average of 167bpm and had an average speed of 20.6kph. That's not too bad for around there. I finished in great shape and actually felt as though I could have kept the pace up for another lap or so.
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