First TMBRA Race of 2011

Sorry this is a long time coming but I’m getting out there now.  The first TMBRA race was last Sunday at Bluff Creek Ranch in Warda Tx.  Warda sits between La Grange and Giddings.  So after working the rodeo all night, I got home at 1:00 AM and got 3 hrs of sleep before Bambi and I made our journey to Warda.  I had borrowed a bike from Jason Maloney, a full suspension 26er since I have a cracked frame that has yet to be resolved.  I’m use to riding a 29er hardtail and the bikes ride very different.  We got there in plenty of time to setup properly and warm up.  I kept on questioning my seat height because there is a very fine line between too high or too low when it comes to biking.  So I get to the starting line late and I think they have already called up my age group (19-29 Cat 2) and Cap Carter sends me up to Tobin.  Oops, they are calling up the single speed division and I thank Cap for making me look like a fool, it was funny actually.

So my expectations going into the race was top 10, but there were a lot more riders this year than last.  I only recognized one other person in my age group from last spring with 25 riders toeing the line, pretty crazy.  I lowered my expectations due to borrowed bike and working on my feet for the last 3 days and no sleep.  We got started off and I usually blow myself up at the start.  This race I was patient and slowly moved my way into the 10-14 before we hit the single track.  I felt good on the technical stuff with the 26er but could definitely tell I couldn’t just rollover stuff like I was use to.  I also had a major problem clipping numerous roots with less ground clearance.  My race was pretty uneventful from then on, I caught a couple of riders in my group throughout the 3 laps and was only passed by one person in my age group.  I ended up finishing 11^th, 45 secs behind 10^th.  I did start to fade at the end, which I'm use to at the mtb races.  I have a hard time keeping my heart rate down, I burn all of my matches fast in mtb race.

I asked myself would have the results been different if I had my bike, maybe 1 or 2 places.  But I still have a long way to go to place in the top 5 in Cat 2.  But that is one aspect of like about mtb racing, there are always people there pushing you to be faster.