Jansen and Jafer got together for a 6 hour duo,
and I was in for 9 solo.
Yup, seemed like a good idea at the time. I blamed Anet for it at the end of 8 laps and swore that was my one and only 9 hour solo, she laughed and said "you'll do it again".
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The notorious Anet-Miss-Thang!
Wes Lamberson flying around the course. (Anet and Bob's oldest son)
Anet in action.
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Sven was throwing pinwheels, because..............well, does it really matter, I mean it IS Sven, right?
I was very happy to get to ride a couple laps with Cara. She was carving the turns like nobody's business and I got a chance to catch up on her road team news.
Andy was in for the full 9 solo. Great ride, too!
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Jansen and Jafer kept a commanding lead on the 6 hour duo teams and finished strong. I don't have their podium shot, but they got first.
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Shey made a last minute promise to take all the canopies and tables from the trailer to the race, so he had to get up extra early and head over to the shop to pick the stuff up. He didn't take time to eat like he normally does and ran out of energy, then ate a sandwich during the race and that didn't agree with him. So, it was a good race for him as far as putting in some fast miles, but he didn't feel good and had to stop when he didn't want to.
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Each time Bob passed me or the guys passed him, he was sure to tell us how happy he was that he found his shoes. I loved it!!!!!!! "Doing great, I found my shoes!" Happy Bob!
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So, I was really laid back until we lined up for the start. I really didn't know where to go. The 6 hr teams would be flying, but I didn't want to get stuck in the back, either. I just wasn't sure. So, I found Anet and lined up with Norma in front and Kim in back. We were still in the last 1/4 of the group and that had me nervous. Going into the woods was horrible. It was a complete backpedalling train and a guy behind us was complaining up a storm about his crash and how his race was all over. (obnoxious) I kept quiet and Anet kept smiling back at me, so I didn't explode. It was cool.
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Then a couple miles in I moved around and asked Anet to come, too, so we passed and opened up some space to ride at a fun pace. We talked and had fun. Then I wasn't sure how slick the other side of the creek crossing was, so I jumped off and wasn't sure if I got out of the way in time or screwed anyone else up. Anet and I rode together some more, then I saw Norma through the woods and she was way the heck in front of us, so I picked up our pace a little bit. From then on it was just fun, fun, fun riding on a great course. After 6 laps I got pretty hungry, so I opened a Honey Stinger Waffle and shoved it in my mouth......but half of it fell on the ground in a very fast section, so I couldn't go back...damn.
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When I came in to pick up nutrition for my 8th lap I grabbed another waffle so I wouldn't get too hungry. It had started to rain and I wasn't sure how long the lap would take me. I had a minor melt down when I couldn't get the waffle package open as I rode. I pulled over on the side of the trail and screamed at my waffle package for a few seconds and tore at it with my teeth like a wild woman while explicatives were flying through the air......then it opened and all was right with the world again! Ah, the joy of a race drained mind. The course got pretty soupy for the last four miles, but I had a good light and enough fluid to keep me going, so all was good. When I rolled into the finish I sneered at Anet in a not-very-lady-like-fashion and told her what she could do with her 9 hour races and she just smiled at me. Grrrr. Loved it though and it was very nice to see so many friends of the family out on the course together.
All action photos courtesy of Mark Dee, who took some great shots out on the trail. Thanks man!!
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