When I woke up this morning it was 27 degrees outside, with the sun just breaking through the mist. I planned on using my friend’s cross bike, but the idea of racing a frozen, rutted race at Kruger’s Farm on Sauvie Island made me think twice. I decided to bring my mountain bike, just in case the ground didn’t thaw out in time for the women’s race. As it turns out, the beginner men and masters 50+ did I good job of de-thawing the ground, turning it into a giant, Play-do-like mud pit.
The course was pretty much entirely flat, but the sticky mud was adding about 20 pounds of weight to everyone’s bike. Because it hasn’t rained in a number of days, there were no sweet puddles to wash off the clay mud, so the mud mixing with the hay and grass stuck onto the frame, in the dereillers, in the brakes, and on the cleats. The course around the corn maze was like ice, the mud was so slick. Rear tires were flying out uncontrollably, bikes flying sideways 2-3 feet. I have never seen so many busted bikes; there were people with rear dereillers upside down, dragging on the ground, seats missing, seat posts exploded, it was pure carnage.
The sun came out sometime turning the Masters B race, which meant a few hours to dry time for that mud. By the time the women raced, much of what was causing trouble in the earlier races was quite tame. There were only about 12 women in the B field, which was a big change. I got off the gun in about 5th or 6th, with a few people passing me as we sprinted up the dirt road. We spread out rather quickly, and I settled in quickly, picking them off one by one.
I did crash once around one particularly slippy hair-pin turn around the corn maze, but since I could stay up in the ice-mud, I passed a lot of people who were having trouble staying vertical. This was a pretty tough course; if you weren’t sprinting all out on the dry, flat sections, you were muscling through the deep mud. I felt really good about this race, and I know there were about 3 people right on my tale much of the race. But I managed to hold them off…I have no idea who was in front of me, because I lost site of the leaders pretty much immediately. But I think I placed pretty high…at least 8th most likely, if there were really only 12 B’s. I shall update when the results are posted. I have my podium finish: 3rd place. Hell yes. I start the cross season at Kruger’s with a first place in the beginner’s, and I end my season with a 3rd place in the Bs. Not too shabby.
I think this is the last race of the season for me; I feel awesome about this season, going from raw beginner to mid-pack Bs top of the B’s (all on non-cross or borrowed, too-large bikes). I have high hopes for next year, perhaps an upgrade to As? Who knows. Alls I know is that I’ll have my own shiny new steed.
Congrats!!!!