For many this is one of the first major races of the season. For me, it is one of the toughest races....and one of the most enjoyable. It is such a mixed bag....every type of racing surface. Some pavement, some single track, some double track, much rail trail, much gravel...even some wide open-ish farmers fields, always soft enough (if not downright quagmirish!!) to suck any remaining life out of you...and always mud!! The mud chutes...also known as the chutes-of-many-endos...the damn mud chutes.
Pic of the Powerline Mudslide compliments of JJMisfits (she is as good as an artist as she is a cyclist...which means she kicks butt at both).
The fastest racers will be on CX bikes...the most comfortable will be on Mountain bikes. This is the first year there will be a fatbike category! But there will also be tandems....there will be hybrids, and commuters...there will even be unicycles...or at least one, there is always that guy.
And the weather...historically has been as unpredictable as heck (that means very)!! So far, those who attempt to predict the weather have it very, very, pleasant for this weekend. However, historically it has been all over the place...there has been sun, rain, sleet snow, gale force winds...and sometimes all on the same day!!! Let's hope that those who predict are on their game this year!
So what have racers been doing to prepare (besides brutal training, judicious nutrition, and proper rest?)...
Some prepared by winning the Pisgah Stage Race...or at least podiumming...last week.
Congrats to JeffS and Hal!
Some prepared by learning how to fix flats....multiple flats...
Some are already good at fixing flats...
That's CptSydor....he will kick my butt at this race...he always does.
Unglued is secret training....and he will likely threaten me in the paddock...again...
MTBMeister won't be racing...instead he will be photographying...which he does as a sideline (mainline??), for our friends at Apex Photography...
He says he will be positioned at one of the mudslides...where all the action is. Great. The mudslides scare the hell out of me. Almost as much as this does...
Yikes!! (Yeah, I don't know what that is all about either...just had to throw it in...)
Anyways...if he catches a pic of me displaying my obvious lack of bike handling skills in the mudslide I may be as pissy as this...
Sorry, had to get one cat pic in (thank you Shadow, for posing...).
OK, two cat pics....but that's it.
Anyways...what have I done to prepare? I guess I have trained...some.
I have ridden CX with some good people...like the R&R crew...and Oggie.
I have ridden Mountain bikes with some good people...
I've also ridden with NewfieSteve...and even with EnglishJim...but no pics...sorry...(Oh, and yes....Steve and Jim are also good people!!!)
I have done some motivational training...
Yeah....anyways...
This is one of those races where almost everyone will be there...everyone has secret trained for...everyone wants to do well at (do better than last year)...
So, let's see how it goes...
If you see me I will be sporting the BW jersey...stands for BicycleWorks (not BarkWing).
Good luck this weekend everyone!!
And standby for the race review!!
Stay posted!!
I was tipped to your blog last year sometime, maybe from a Substance race post? Anyway, been reading your blog since, always entertaining and good to read. I am pretty sure I saw you at Steaming Nostril but didn't get a chance to say good morning. If I see you this Sunday I'll be sure to say hello. Cheers and have a great race!
ReplyDelete