Yesterday Matt and I jumped in fatmarc's toaster for a 3 hour trip to Danville, PA for the MASS #6 Tour de Tykes. Lucky for us it rained all night and most of the morning. I was trying to stay positive and embrace the upcoming mud. I don't like mud and I usually don't do well in it. It is a totally mental thing so I was determined to make a non-factor. The trails weren't that bad, it wasn't stick to your bike peanutbutter mud, but it was slick and traction was hard to come by. In fact the only climb that was totally ridable was the start, it was a mostly gravel fire road with single track at the end, but it was a mile or more long. Our awesome group of Single Speeders decided to pace ourselves up the start climb, and that was going well until the end when Wes started getting a gap and that was the last time I saw him. I was able to stay on Marc's wheel until the descent ,which he used his Spot 29er to get a gap I kept him in sight for a little while then he got away. Matt who was just a little bit off caught up and proceeded to get a gap on me. I tried to settle in and ride, I kept Matt in my sights and slowly started to bring him back. The course was taking it's toll on everybody. It was just constant long steep climbs and steep descents, with zero flat sections to recover on.
I caught back up to Matt and we rode together for a while. I was feeling OK but not great. I was also taking comfort in seeing most of the guys on gears pushing there bikes up the hills as well. While bombing a loose rocky descent I flatted. I was pissed, so much for stan's no tubes. I took my time fixed the flat and took off again. I was determined to finish and catch as many of the guys that passed me while I was fixing the flat as I could.
At one point about 1:40 in, we came by the start area and I thought we were done. Not even close, we were only a little more than half way. I thought i was going to be racing for 3+ hours. I rode what I could and I walked what I couldn't. All the time picking off anyone in front of me. On won of the big time fun down hills, I came up on a sport rider off his bike, I yelled "rider back", there was a log coming up with a drop off on the other side. I heard the guy yell "be careful", I am not a guy who launches or hucks off of anything, I will ride off of stuff but I usually don't launch off it. I launched off that log only to find a 20 foot steep drop on the other side. My back wheel hit about half way down and I some how managed to ride through it and not shit my pants in the process.
I finally crossed the line, I didn't beat anybody in my class but I finished and I never bithed about the mud. I talked about it, and compared stories, but I didn't allow it to be a factor. Hopefully it never is again. I also have to send out big congrats to fatmarc (see www.fatmarc.com for some cool pics and another man's perspective) Marc got his first podium in a MASS race taking 2nd on the day, awesome job my friend.
thanks for reading
Buddy
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