Long Pine

Everyone said it was going to be rocky. And the more people said that, the more pumped I got for this race. I was definitely going into this race for the win in senior 1, and although I didn't tell anyone, I had always been too close to first overall to not win that one too. So I came into this race with high expectations, but also knowing that anything could happen. We picked up my grandpa along the way down, so all 3 generations were at the race. He brought his bike to ride around a bit to different spots on the course. I let others set the pace up the first climb until Noah, me, and another rider broke away from the rest of the group. We were riding together for a bit, until I recognized trails from the Mash. It was then that I decided to break away. I knew how the other riders rode, and I thought that if I timed it right, I could take my chances and ride to the finish alone. I got it into my head that I just needed to go for it, and when the big boulder step up-step down came, I hopped it and off I went. I had a big gap at the bottom of that trail, but they were still within my sight up the big climb from the Mash. I just sucked it up and forgot about how much everything hurt, because I knew I needed to get out of their sight. That worked, and I had a reasonable gap again. But another road section and eventually 2nd place was right on my wheel. Worked hard to clean the steepest climb of the race, and dropped him at the top. At this point in the race, I had the biggest gap yet. I could still see 2nd place as a little dot far behind me, and that was too close. Accidentally turned into the expert course but I got back on track. I got confused on where to go at the powerline, and ran through grass and over rocks until I got back on the trail. I really didn't want to step on a snake. I knew that must be passed halfway, because I had already been passed the expert turnoff, so I kept in in the big chainring and cranked the flat, rocky, twisty singletrack. Gunnar warned me about the water bars at the end of the race, but I hit them too fast anyway. I didn't fall, but had a few close calls. Got to the road, saw I was 14 miles in, and started sprinting. Up the last climb to the top of the powerline, and the race was over. Top 3 spots were very close, and Noah ended up with 3rd overall. I never got a chance to talk much with the guy who got 2nd, but I don't think I've seen him at many races. After we got home, we got the bikes off the car and waited for my mom and sister to get back from picking up our new puppy. He's a rodesian ridgeback. When he first got here, he was a bit nervous but he's really playful now. So I'm looking forward to just getting through Fair Hill -- hopefully having a good race -- and racing Michaux's Curse of Dark Hollw, which is one of the best races I have ever raced. I missed out on it last year, and I really want to have a good time, because I barely finished in 2007.