I'm alive!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, I ate a bratwurst, a turkey burger, some pasta salad, and two beers. I've had a shower, some Aleve, and a nap. I feel great!

Today's race report -

Registration opened at 9 am. Expert 9:30, Sport 10:30, Beginner 11:30. The BF (Geoff) and I decided it would be our first mountain bike race as we both race road bikes together. I had been to a women's only mountain bike clinic earlier last month at this park. They had a "so you want to race MTB's meeting" and I learned what I needed to know. I learned - I really wanna do it!

Got to the park around 10 am. Saw two other girls from the clinic! YEAH! We instantly bonded and started catching up. Geoff saw customers he knew from the shop and went to chat with them. (Guess he didn't want to hang out with a bunch of girls)

A field of about 30 beginner men and about 10 beginner women. I figured they would start us a few mintues apart but no, it was a mass start. Us chicks hung in the back as we knew we'd just be getting passed a lot at the beginning. One of the husbands had scouted the course for his wife and he shared that info with us. Glad he did as the course was a little confusing.

So we start out and it was a little slow. There were a lot of people out there. I thought I'd have the hardest time with how to give people enough room for passing me BUT turns out I only got passed by one person and I was doing the passing!

I shifted to go up a steep hill and thought I dropped my chain. I tried to pedal through it but it just got worse. One of my new best friends was behind me and said I had a stick. I hopped off and a couple girls scooted passed me. Yeah, it was a big stick, a really big one, wrapped around my chain and in my rear derailluer. Jumped back on and my chain was still screwed up. Grrr I was loosing time on everyone one! Hopped off again and ran it through the gears and finally got going again. My RD is a little on the crooked side to put it midly! (BF was not amused as he'll be the one fixing it!)

Pedalling my butt off, trying to regain the ground I'd lost, I really started to lose it. I didn't wear my heart rate monitor and regretted it. I'm sure I posted my highest numbers of the season today. Asthama + humidity + high heart rate = I'M GOING TO DIE. I rode conservatively for the next 10 or 15 minutes trying to breath and get my heart rate back down into the triple digits. Passed a few gals and guys and finally got back to business.

Saw my man on the course, it switches back and forth in several areas with the trail coming close to the other trails. Actually, he saw me first and gave me his "looking good honey!" cheer. I didn't know exactly how far ahead of me he was until I FINALLY got to the part where he had been when he cheered me on. He was really moving!

I walked a scary downhill and didn't have enough power to get up two of the bigger hills but oh well.

I was really dragging by the end (8 miles) but managed to pass another guy. On the final climb back to the start/finish line, I saw my honey and my new girlfriend cheering me on. I don't think he's ever seen me struggle as much as I did at the race today. I got off my bike, put my hands on my legs and tried to inhale as much air as I could.

So, there it is - my first MTB race report. I've got a road race Saturday and I'm doing another MTB race on Sunday.

Things learned -

Do not forget heart rate monitor
Don't start out too fast
Look out for derailluer eating sticks
Bring plain water bottle and use it to pour head to get core temp back down (I was wearing my camelbak and had sports drink in it)
Figure out how to do scary downhill

One of the girls fiance's took pictures. I'll post them when I get them!

Jeni