For any one who did it, how'd it go? I had a really good first lap ... unfortunately, I needed two. I'd love to have an excuse for why it didn't work out, but the fact is it was all rider error. I pushed a little too hard coming one short, steep climb near the end of the first lap and felt my right leg go shaky. It made the second lap an adventure -- every time the trail turned upward, I was thinking, "Is this when it's going to give out?" It slowed me down, and then it finally did blow out on the one "big" climb of the day, which wasn't really a big climb at all. It locked up pretty bad and I had to limp up the second to last section of the climb. I did get sufficiently pissed enough, though, to force myself to ride the last section of it, which hurt like a mother. After that, I was just so damn angry at myself for blowing a top ten day that I forced myself to wince through the pain and pushed through the last mile. I came through the start finish after the first lap hanging in the top ten, and I lost at least six spots in that second, terrible lap. I'd love to say that it doesn't bother me, that a bad day is just a bad day, but that's bullshit. It DOES bother me. I felt good in the beginning. I did a dumbass thing and I paid for it in my finish position. I ended up 16th in the SS Open field. Sixteenth ... boo, 1speed!!!!!
