Book of Paul H

Paul H said:
Feels fast and it made me do stupid shit and ended up scraping the BB shell going over a log. I didn't look because I didn't want my neighbors to see me cry.
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Fuck...
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Mtbdog said:
Did that happen at Hm? Where?
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Yep... I don't remember exactly where because I knew I scraped the bottom and I was trying to block it out of my mind. I forgot about it then saw it today when washing the bike. It was somewhere in the ancients.
 
I am writing this as I am chopping down on a Whopper...
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Woke up 4:20Am and do my usual. Grab coffee and went to Quickchek for a bite to eat. Had a breakfast burrito and an empanada.
Call it jitters or whatnot but just couldn't sit around doing nothing. Got in contact with @jklett and we decide to head in early and goof around. Half way there on the 80 and its raining... errrr. I get there and its still raining. Meet up with Jason, then @Mathers and @mtbiker87 rolls in. Soon enough @Danimal @kbajaj and @Mtbdog shows up. As usual, we shoot the shit and Matt and I decide to go on a pre-ride. The course is slick AF! I get knocked off the saddle on a root and Matt does down on a rock face. Its pretty muddy. I see the expert, Fat bike guys coming and I pull over and let them all pass. After this, I swear I went off course to get out of the way then all of a sudden, @fidodie flies by. Must have been lack of oxygen to the brain. Recon report shared with the rest of the crew and the name of the game is, NO ONE GETS HURT!

Good to see @Miracle Max Loves Garbage and @serviceguy stopped by. I saw @BPaze car but didn't get to see him.

Race starts and I am thinking take it easy and try to finish the race but then I see Dan, Frank and Matt shooting off. In that second, I am reminded of what @qclabrat said to me the day before. Try to stay on Frank's and Matt's rear. I don't know how and why, but I cranked it up and I am staying behind Matt's wheel for the 1st half of the lap. Switchback climb comes up and I am sucking wind. Frank must have slipped on something because he got off the saddle and I pass him. Down the hill and I try to spin and nothing.... fuck! Chain dropped. First chain drop ever on the Hightower. Never happened before. I think I lost 4 spots. Arnold is not too far ahead and I catch up to him at the start of the 2nd lap on the fire road climb and Frank is in my sights. Come up on the same spot Matt went down on the pre-ride and I see Frank clearing it but at this point, I just didn't think I had the legs. Making up for the lost spots took too much out of me. I dismount and walk it. At this point Frank probably has a minute lead and the course is getting really muddy. I couldn't keep a straight line as the bike was moving side ways. I think I mentally quit at this point. Too damn slippery.... was the only thought in my head. At the switchback climb, I got off the saddle and gave my legs a rest for a few secs and let other riders pass. At the finish of the 2nd lap... I decided to DNF. Don't get me wrong.... I was tired and sucking wind but I do think I could have finished on granny gear but didn't want to get hurt.

As soon as I DNF and drop my bike.... @TimBay comes up with a Mcgriddle! My fuckin hero! You are the man!
Welp.... it was fun and it was freakin hard! But nonetheless, I am looking forward to next year already!
 
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Paul H said:
I am writing this as I am chopping down on a Whopper...
View attachment 91727

Woke up 4:20Am and do my usual. Grab coffee and went to Quickchek for a bite to eat. Had a breakfast burrito and an empanada.
Call it jitters or whatnot but just couldn't sit around doing nothing. Got in contact with @jklett and we decide to head in early and goof around. Half way there on the 80 and its raining... errrr. I get there and its still raining. Meet up with Jason, then @Mathers and @mtbiker87 rolls in. Soon enough @Danimal @kbajaj and @Mtbdog shows up. As usual, we shoot the shit and Matt and I decide to go on a pre-ride. The course is slick AF! I get knocked off the saddle on a root and Matt does down on a rock face. Its pretty muddy. I see the expert, Fat bike guys coming and I pull over and let them all pass. After this, I swear I went off course to get out of the way then all of a sudden, @fidodie flies by. Must have been lack of oxygen to the brain. Recon report shared with the rest of the crew and the name of the game is, NO ONE GETS HURT!

Good to see @Miracle Max Loves Garbage and @serviceguy stopped by. I saw @BPaze car but didn't get to see him.

Race starts and I am thinking take it easy and try to finish the race but then I see Dan, Frank and Matt shooting off. In that second, I am reminded of what @qclabrat said to me the day before. Try to stay on Frank's and Matt's rear. I don't know how and why, but I cranked it up and I am staying behind Matt's wheel for the 1st half of the lap. Switchback climb comes up and I am sucking wind. Frank must have slipped on something because he got off the saddle and I pass him. Down the hill and I try to spin and nothing.... fuck! Chain dropped. First chain drop ever on the Hightower. Never happened before. I think I lost 4 spots. Arnold is not too far ahead and I catch up to him at the start of the 2nd lap on the fire road climb and Frank is in my sights. Come up on the same spot Matt went down on the pre-ride and I see Frank clearing it but at this point, I just didn't think I had the legs. Making up for the lost spots took too much out of me. I dismount and walk it. At this point Frank probably has a minute lead and the course is getting really muddy. I couldn't keep a straight line as the bike was moving side ways. I think I mentally quit at this point. Too damn slippery.... was the only thought in my head. At the switchback climb, I got off the saddle and gave my legs a rest for a few secs and let other riders pass. At the finish of the 2nd lap... I decided to DNF. Don't get me wrong.... I was tired and sucking wind but I do think I could have finished on granny gear but didn't want to get hurt.

As soon as I DNF and drop my bike.... @TimBay comes up with a Mcgriddle! My fuckin hero! You are the man!
Welp.... it was fun and it was freakin hard! But nonetheless, I am looking forward to next year already!
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Sorry I missed you great recap by the time I parked I had to get going the place was mobbed maybe I will actually be able to join next year and great job no OOS took first so they all suck because “if you’re not first you’re last”
 
You are not the only one who mentally checks out. It's something that I constantly fight with and came close to just stopping after I dropped my chain twice. You are a stronger rider then that. Mentally and physically. I've seen it, and you know it. This is probably calling the kettle black, but wtf is up with your diet? I think that's holding you back a ton. Kudos for not crapping your pants though(hopefully) after that breakfast lol
 
Danimal said:
You are not the only one who mentally checks out. It's something that I constantly fight with and came close to just stopping after I dropped my chain twice. You are a stronger rider then that. Mentally and physically. I've seen it, and you know it. This is probably calling the kettle black, but wtf is up with your diet? I think that's holding you back a ton. Kudos for not crapping your pants though(hopefully) after that breakfast lol
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Train of thought.... Do you eat to live... or live to eat? I am of the latter but at the same time, I try not to indulge too much. I try to keep the junk food to once a week. :)
 
Paul H said:
Train of thought.... Do you eat to live... or live to eat? I am of the latter but at the same time, I try not to indulge too much. I try to keep the junk food to once a week. :)
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I eat because I have to. Trying to find things I feel like eating is a chore at times and it really slows me down because I dont tend to get the nutrition I need. Dont get me wrong, i still eat. Just not what my body really needs. Only fast food I eat is pizza and burritos. Fuckin burritos...
 
Excuse #1983748724563098... but IDK... maybe if the course wasn't so slick... I might have tried harder to finish.
Anyways... if the conditions were drier... that course would have been super fun. I am definitely there next year!
 
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everyone is riding the same course,
your chain came off because of the crap stuck to the bike, and FS. happens.
the first race is a shocker when the horn goes off, and hell, those people are racing.
now you know.

a race gives you a reason to ride without stopping. (i actually stopped and let the 4th place crazy through)

the vibe for the h2h races is different, because it is an all-day affair. more people and classes to deal with.
if the short track series worked out, and you did all three, you'd be rocking it by the last one, and looking forward to
doing a couple more.

My first short track in sport, @muddybike and @mstyer passed me twice in the same race.
 
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