Sylvan Island Stampede 4-13-08

Ahh to be back on a mountain bike and racing it was just an indescribable feeling. It has been 9 years since my last race and even longer than that where I could say I have actually been competitive. I saw this race a few weeks ago and didn't think much of it, and just a few days ago I decided I would give it a go. Showed up right before the beginner's race started and I wanted to get a lap in before they went, so I hurried up and got dressed and went for it. It didn't take long to remember how to make my way through the technical sections and keep it smooth going through. Got to the line with about 50+ other people in the Sport race, first lap wasn't the best as we were pretty bunched up and there wasn't many places to pass, so you either had to wait for an opening, or take some risks passing where you probably shouldn't. I did a little of both and by the 2nd lap thing's were spread out far enough to the point where you could get into a rhythm and just cruise along. 3 laps into it and it started to get cloudy again, and even snowed for a short period of time, but at first I thought I was bonking and seeing little white floaties, but alas it was just the snow. By the 5th and final lap I was starting to feel the pain of being on the bike for over an hour, not just in my legs but all over my body, and just tried keep from getting caught. Did a good job of that and ended up 7th Place in the Sport Mens 30-39 and 13th overall for the Sport Mens class. All in all it was a great day of racing and I am looking forward to doing more mountain bike racing this spring and summer, I am better at this than road racing, so there are a few more crits I am gonna do, but after that I am gonna focus on the off-roading for a while. Pics from the race will be coming soon.

Sylvan Island Stampede