Dfl

Everyone said moving from Sport to Expert was a big leap . . . and it was.

My main goal was to 1) have fun and 2) NEVER QUIT.

The race was three laps totaling almost 20 miles. Everyone also said that mountain bike racing is red-line, super-high intensity from the start. And everyone was right on that point too.

We started with an uphill climb. I managed to stay close to the group on the first climb. Thankfully we went from there into a down-hill. And it wasn't a coasting downhill, it was an all-out, big-ring, turn your crank descent. It was awesome.

I was pretty geeked that I was still with the field going into the heart of the loop. But, DANG, it was brutal. I have ever breathed that hard before. I had buckets of snot coming out of my nose. My legs were jelly 3 miles in . . . and I still had 2.5 laps to go!

This course was a ton of climbing, more than I am used to. I was working so hard to stay with the group that my legs could not handle some of the climbs and I had to walk them. I was the only woman in Expert that walked the hills :( But, I still managed to stay ahead of one woman and by the end of the first lap, I was on the back wheel of another :D I was overjoyed.

In the second lap she was pulling away on the climbs but I would slowly gain ground on the flats and descents. The last big climb of the second lap I dropped a chain and that was enough for her to get away.

Even though I lost sight of her, I kept telling myself she was right around the next corner. My legs were destroyed but I was not going to give up. One more lap and the sufferfest would be over.

Last lap I was pretty much alone. No one in front or behind me. I pushed myself beyond my limit. Unfortunately, my legs just didn't have it to do those brutal 2-3 climbs and I had to walk them. On the last hill, the one person I was ahead of the entire race, came from out of nowhere and climbed past me.

The last 2 miles was mostly flats with a long down-hill to the finish. I shifted into my big ring and cranked it as hard as I could, knowing she was just ahead of me. Exiting the single track and into the final descent, I knew she had finished. At that point, it became me vs. the clock. I tucked in and sprinted across that finish line.

DFL by 45 seconds. 14 minutes behind first place.
I am happy :D

Congrats! DFL is great because you hung on and were close to the person in front of you. :) You sound so happy, I am excited for you!

That is pretty damned sweet...and 45 seconds is nothing over the course of 20 miles. Wow, girl, you rocked that...and you will only get better! :cool:

Carry your lanterne rouge proudly! :D

Hey that's pretty cool! Glad you went for it :)

Congratulations on hanging in there! Sounds like you were right on top of that person - I am excited for you! It does sound like so very much fun!

You hung in there - and that is a BIG deal. The true dfl gals are the ones who never even had the courage to try. You won by just being out there. Happy racing - we all know the turn your guts inside out feeling you describe - but what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!:D

Congratulations on doing it! Takes some courage to start at a different level.

DFL>DNF>DNS

Today I wimped on doing a Cat 3 race, the trail was technical and not suited to my ability in some sections. But I feel like I let myself down by not trying. You went, you raced hard and you had fun. I wish I could say the same! :)