Columbus GSC Race

The weather was AWESOME!!! Couldn't ask for better!

Shey (pro/semi-pro), Jansen (sport 19-29) and I (expert women 0-199) raced xc this weekend, while Everett worked the feed zone and helped the Bergers score the race. (yep, he broke his xc bike AGAIN!)

Crazy morning, as usual. So, Shey decides that we need a CIRCUS TENT to create shade for all the young racers. He said there was no problem bringing it, because we would just strap it to the top of the car......yep, it screamed on the highway!! So, we pull over twice and he ends up putting it in the car. Two adults, two teenagers, two 70 lb dogs all our gear and food and a big/huge/gigantic canopy right in the middle. Right-O and we're on our merry way.

The trail was perfect with just the right tackiness to keep the dust down. The course is flat with tons of tight stuff like Pig Trail, so you have to have your mojo goin' on or you clip trees like crazy!

Shey got to mix it up with two Canadians and Jansen had 15 guys in his field. This was his first race in the 19-29 sport age group, so he was anxious to see how he would do. 3 out of 6 of the ladies were Sorellas in the expert field. Shey was talking to the devo juniors and didn't get in a warm-up, but Jansen and I got to hit the dirt road for a few minutes before line-up.

We started off by heading into a field which gave the ladies time to sort places out before heading into the single track. This was much better than the dash for the woods in the past couple years.

The young guys come up first and their adrenaline is pumping, the middle aged ladies chuckle.... Then I hear "hey Mom!" as Jansen flies by. Very cool!

I stay at a moderate pace, since this has been a crazy year and I haven't put the miles on my mtb that I had hoped for. I think, "remember, you have 30 miles to do and you don't want to be crawling those last 10!"

I come through the feed zone and my older son is there with my bottle, damn...I totally forgot to drink...very unlike me. So, I gulp what I can and take a new bottle.

After the feed there is a fun, flat, twisty section. This has always been my weakness. I can't turn, but I've been working on it and I didn't screech to a halt as often as I have in the past. (Shey's buddy was making fun of him through these sections......let's just say that Shey is a shifter....)

Funny second lap story: There is a guy out there in mesh basketball shorts and a cycling jersey. Very nice guy. I see him in the twisty area at the end of the course and I call out "passing on your left" he says "okay" and moves to the left and hits the brakes. (yes, when you are tired, you hear and think all sorts of weird things and we have all moved to the wrong side before) If was a fast section and I hit him pretty hard, tire to tire, and I go flying over the handle bars. The funny part is that I land right in a pile of leave with my mouth WIDE OPEN. I jump up and spit out leaves which are in my mouth, up my nose, stuck to my chin, etc. I wish there was a video! I jump back on my bike and the guy immediately apologizes. It obviously was an accident and not intentional and I tell him it's not big deal and laugh as I spit out more leaves. Then, I take off.

Well, I come across this guys AGAIN in the field. (yes, I just left him in the woods, but he appears again) I start laughing and I say, "Okay, it's me again and this time I'LL GO THE THE LEFT AND YOU STAY ON THE RIGHT AND WHATEVER YOU DO DON'T HIT YOUR BRAKES.....he starts laughing and says Okay." I tell him he's doing great out there and I head out for my third lap.

Nothing eventful in the last lap. I was just happy to be done and I was STARVING!

Jansen had a very exciting race and sprinted to the finish with his buddy Luke. Those two took first and second which was really neat, after their battles last year in the junior category. Their race is always exciting to watch and I hated to miss it.

Everett has been a great help during the dirt races that he decides to volunteer instead of race.

Though he is a road and cross racer, he still hits the dirt with us every week and he's a ton of fun to ride with.

It's good to be out there again and the day could not have been better. I took the dogs for a walk and they played in the lake for awhile. We all got to visit with our friends before packing up for the 2.5 hour drive home.

Cohutta is next!

Kari L.