All I want is redemption

May 1 is the Douthat State Park Race also known as Middle Mountain Momma

This is one of the most pristine places in all the east, some say the entire country, to ride. Some sweet sweet single track. The race course is really tough.
There is 5000' feet of off road climbing in this one. Makes my back cringe just thinking of it.

The last time I raced here was in 1998. Here is the excerpt from my log:

First 1.5 hr, rode strong, climbed well
wrong turn, shut down after that- dizzy
no power, cramping so bad in tears
crashed at very end-never hurt so hard
more emotional than physical

I remember some parts clearly. Like the start. Big ring single file flying. I'd been thinking that I should be more aggressive in races, and opted to try out that tact and tried to pass on the outside. My front wheel dropped off the side and I cartwheeled. By the time I picked myself up and knocked the cobwebs loose the women and beginners were cruising by. Waited an eternity to get back on.

Towards the end, the skies opened up and it started to rain, at least I think it was raining my memory is hazy in spots which is why I'm probably considering doing the race again, just like childbirth there is built in short term memory loss in mountain biking.

I started to cramp so bad. Inner thigh, total utter lock up. Choices are spin granny or hobble. I hit the paved road and had just a little loop to get back to the start. The cramps would come in waves, They would hit, then I'd spin then they'd go away and I could get back to riding. They were so painful I was in tears. Streaming down my dirty face. When they'd hit I was practically screaming, NOOO not again. I remember this one guy ahead of me looking back at me expecting to see a Bear mauling me or something.

Then there was one last little drop to the finish area. And my front wheel washed. Either the wheel slipped on something wet or my grips came off I can't remember. And I yard saled it right there before the finish. Slowly rolled on in. Just devastated.

Physically drained, but more so emotionally. I was just so bummed and pissed off. Ego invested. And the rest of the day I was sullen and hardly talked to anyone. And regret it to this day.

Perfect location, grass roots racing at it's best, nice people, hanging out, and my attitiude was so wrong. Not that I ruined it for anyone else but myself. But these things are so few and far between it's like I burned one of the few matches in the collection.

I don't give a whatever about my placing. All I want to do is ride hard, ride strong, ride well, and go the distance.

He's going the distance,
He's going for speed.
....

Times last year for vet sport were 2:45 and up. That is a long time to be hossing it. Longest mtb ride I've done this year has been 2:45 and a fair amount was cruising. The race at Pipestem was 1:55 and I came across on empty, this is another 50 minutes. Yeah boy!