Collage of what has happened since, from Mandi:
None of the tiles have fell off yet, which is a good thing. Mandi tackled the first row of making sure it was neat and level, and then we hit the rest of them as hard as we could. Everything seemed to fall into place on the walls well.
HORSESHOE
They said it was suppose to snow, but it never came. I once again went bare legged and was shocked everyone was still covered up. I didn't think it was that cold. I wiggled my way into the front row. All I could think about was how the last two rides I did were races at Sussex. Who knows what JP would show up today. Whistle blows and I miss my pedal. Hard. I go from front row to middle of the pack within two seconds. Joy. The train rolls through the whoop section and I see Keith rolled a tubie. Bummer. I spend the first two laps making up spots as I can on the straight aways. Very tough to pass at this race. I knew if I wanted to do remotely well, I need to hit these straights hard. I stand up and hit the back straight before the log as hard as I can and get a 3-4 spots back. The multiple different lines in all of the tech stuff also provided some strategy vs the safer line and the line to block. The corners were off camber and slippery. I find myself being chased by Spiller, working to pass a bunch of people. For two laps he rides behind me and feels like he is studying me. Or wondering how my hairy legs are keeping me warm.
The log over was cool.
We are able to sneak past 26er and bard on the back section. Through the barriers I try and copy Spillers move around the last turn before the straight in order to throw him off, but all it does is throw me off. Crap. He's able to open a gap, but I can close it down a little. He works his way past the Kissena guy Todd, and I can't keep it. Bummer. I try and keep on the gas and keep attacking when I could. At some point my HRM falls down to my waist. Man that feels weird. Todd sticks around with me and Bard and we eventually drop him. It's down to us two now.
Last lap hits and I feel like I need to drop the hammer now. I hit the straights as hard as I can and I feel like I'm opening up a gap. Bard would brake super late, or I just sucked on the techy turns, and he would close the gap again. We head into the old mudbog that was and I drop into my little ring, as I have all race. Been taking the turn wide, spinning my way up it, tight right hand turn, and back into the big ring. I hear Mandi yelling mean things at me and I try and shift back into my big ring. It wasn't their. WTF? I see Bards wheel coming around the left side of me and I try and hammer my rear shifter to grab a harder gear, but it isn't hard enough. Bard squeaks by and I can jump on his wheel. I try and take an inside line around one of the 180 degree turns, but he is able to hold me off. Past the team tent, over the barriers and I remount as best as I could. Off the grass we come and it feels like slow motion. I think about if any of the bathroom tiles have fallen off the wall as we hit the gravel crap. I hit another gear, stand up and try and come around The Bard. I get to his RD and have that was as close as I would get. Not enough gas in the legs, and not enough real estate to get any real pedal strokes in. Bard finishes 4th, me 5th.
Overall it was a great race, and a great course to race. Good to throw down with so many familiar faces and make some new friends along the way. I would have loved to have a do over, but I'll take it. I ended the season with my best finish; how can you be mad about that?
We head out rather quickly and finish up the rest of the bathroom:
Hopefully Monday we can finish this up and figure out the rest of this room.
