AM: ~2 hours 35' total.
Iceman in 2:13:51. HR 165.
6 out of 27 for Fat Bike 39 and Under. 1121 out of 4137 overall.
I skipped out on this race last year as my elbow wasn't 100% and the year before that it was COVID, but it was one of my earliest bike race and my only mountain bike race. I was pretty anxious about the race because it is a bit of a drive and I have an overwhelming amout of work to do, but I decided to just go through with it. The boys were pretty challenging in the hotel with a late nap in the car and they didn't get to bed until midnight. I was losing my mind.
Got to the race, pretty chilly but the temp came up a bit as my wave was taking off and it was perfect. I was shooting for 2:00-2:10, but there was more single track than previous years as they wanted to make it more of a "true" mountain bike race. I think I did well packing my stuff and bringing a number of clothing options and felt I dressed almost perfectly. My feet and legs were sweaty but they weren't uncomfortable. Managed to get down a fair amount of my two bottles of Maurten 320. I'd love to be able to use that in a marathon.
Got out fairly well at the aiport and we were holding 17+, but it is flat and a few tar portions. Slowed down on the single track, pressed hard on the two track and passed people on the climbs. I don't think I got passed on any of the significant climbs, which was nice. There are some very short, but very steep climbs. I know people were getting cheesed off with me and another guy on a fat bike, but sucks being you. Get out of the gate faster and put down faster times so you are in a faster wave. Averaged a bit over 13 MPH on my Garmin. Really tried to press to 14 because I knew the Garmin tax in the woods might be significant (a least a mile if the course was measured with an accurate device).
My bars tagged a tree and threw me but I think I leap frogged the bars or something because I was off the bike and running/stumbling/catching myself, to the applause of the guy behind me for me not eating it. I was riding a bit scared after that but still pressed. It's just hard when you have strong legs and lungs and no skill or confidence, but that is something to work on. I bruised my arm on either my bars or a very small tree. Cannot recall as there was a clear cut area we were going through so there weren't a ton of trees.
Short cool down to the shool where Megan and the boys playing, the same place they were in 2021.
I had an okay bike racing season: one deplorable disasterous race, a really solid race, a okay race, and a race I was decently please with. I am looking forward to changing gears and running a half marathon next weekend, my first running race since Detroit International Half in October 2018. Where does the time go?
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