Hi all.. just for fun, for those who weren't there, I wanted to pass along a write up on the Fat Tire Festival that I did for some friends who are not into mountain biking. This is not so much a sports write up about the event. This is simply my memory of what I experienced at the event:


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Hi again all.  This past weekend we had our Fat Tire Festival at Wilson Lake, Kansas.  Basically it was 2 1/2 days of biking related activities and races including a swap meet, night ride and bike polo match.

Saturday I got to Wilson Lake and rushed around to get the bike unloaded and get myself dressed for riding. I rode a few miles over to where the first event was being held. This event was the Hill Climb time trial. Time trial means that you are racing the clock and no one else is out there.  The distance was about a mile, if that and you rode from the bottom of a hill to the top.  I always hate that hill when it is part of our regular rides; I was not looking forward to racing to the top.  I made it to the top in 4 minutes 3 seconds, which got me second place in the beginner women age 17+ category.

Later that day I raced in a short XC (cross country) race.  Again, we started at the bottom of a different hill; zig zagged up a hill then across the top, then down a super rocky descent.  Beginners had to do three laps. Sport racers had to do five and Experts had to do 8 laps.

Kim (my competition for the weekend) passed me on the first go up the hill.  She remained about five to twenty seconds ahead of me for the next 2 1/2 laps. I could not catch her.  As we passed the crowds on each lap, we heard our names being called and people cheering me on to catch her.  Man I was trying. I was giving it all I had. On the final lap, as we started the hill climb, I wanted to yell out "I'll walk up this one if you will!" but I didn't.  Later when I told her that she said, "You should have! I was dying! I would have walked!" hehehe  Well, she whipped my butt on that race too. Again I got second place coming in three seconds behind her.

Saturday evening there was a bar b que dinner and acoustic jam session where riders who were camping out for the weekend could sit around and just chit chat.  There was also an "On the bike" polo match, which was very interesting to watch. My son, Jayde, played several rounds of polo then they got a soccer ball out and tried that as well. I have several photos of the polo match on my site.

Jayde and I camped out in my car that evening. A small storm rolled through and it rained for a while.  The next morning it was bright and sunny and oh so windy out.  The temps were around 40 degrees and I just could not get warm.  When it came time to ride, I debated putting on my jacket or putting on arm warmers which could be pulled off during the race.  I opted for the jacket.

At the race start, there was about a half mile of pavement to cover before we hit the trail. I got out ahead of several beginners there.  I had ridden the course the day before and knew there were some technical (rocky) areas that I could probably ride that the other three women in my class might not.

This course was about seven miles long. I remained out in front and am certain I had at least a full minute on Kim past the half way point. Then as we came into a switchback section I looked down and she was on the trail right below me.  I have no idea how she caught up so fast.  For the next few miles I thought I had left her behind again. At one point I was so hot and sweaty I needed to take my jacket off. I thought I would stop to do that on top of one hill but when I looked back, there she was again. Grrr.. The jacket stayed.

As I passed Terry (who was shooting photos) at one point, he told me that Kim had been about 20 seconds behind me and was now 40 seconds behind me.  I kept pushing hard.  Then we moved into the section where the hill climb race had been the day before.  I hate that hill and I knew she kicked my butt on it the day before.  I start winding up the hill and again, when I looked down the trail there she was on the switchback right below me.  I yelled out "KIM! Woman! Back off! You're killing me!!"

Kim yelled "YOU slow down!"  I yelled, "I can't! I hate this hill!"

I got to the top, still in front of Kim and I literally screamed down the other side of the hill. I let go of my brakes and just flew leaving my better judgment behind.  We had a few more small climbs and descents and I tried hard to keep ahead of Kim on those.. then I hit a sand pit and had to jump off my bike. Kim came past me there. I yelled "No!  Get back here!"  She yelled "SORRY!"

I hopped back on and in my frustration and rush I could not get settled on my bike as I watched her pedal through another sand pit and leave me behind.  I finally got going again and pedaled as hard and fast as I could. I got to a point where I thought I could pass her but I knew I wouldn't be able to hold onto it unless she was whipped and I just didn't think she was. 

She wasn't.

We had about a mile of grass to cover and a small section of rock.  I was on her tail through the rock and I hoped she would mis cue on something.. anything.. but she did not. She rode awesome.  Through the next section of grass she was killing me.  I yelled out "Don't kill yourself on this, you've got me. I'm not catching you now."

We came out of the grass, onto the pavement and she was in front of me and stayed there.  I had nothing left as she took off up the hill to the finish line 22 seconds in front of me.

At the finish line she was waiting for me and we laughed and threw our arms around each other. I told her she was amazing.  I had thought I was brave and doing some scary things out there. I can't imagine how she was riding to catch me. 

It was a great race. The organizer came up afterwards and told us we were some amazing women who put on a good show.  :)

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This is me hot on Kim's tail during the short XC:
http://www.tslegends.com/2005_0430_ftf/ftf_set01/IMG_0442.html

 Where these photos were shot, we were doing those three laps. Each lap is about a half mile.. I could not catch the woman.. This is a different lap than that other photo:
http://www.tslegends.com/2005_0430_ftf/ftf_set01/IMG_0453.html

This is the Sunday, a different course you can see Kim way behind me here in the light blue: http://www.tslegends.com/2005_0430_ftf/ftf_set03/IMG_0786.html

I rode this technical rocky section.. Terry had coached me through it the day before.. I had been scared of it all the times we have ridden there and I always walked it.. So Saturday Sprad coached me through it and I made it.. Then the day of the race, I rode through no problem.. http://www.tslegends.com/2005_0430_ftf/ftf_set04/IMG_0811.html

This is just before Kim caught me http://www.tslegends.com/2005_0430_ftf/ftf_set04/IMG_0838.html

This is us basically at the finish line.. we had raced for 49 minutes - I came in 22 seconds behind her: http://www.tslegends.com/2005_0430_ftf/ftf_set04/IMG_0840.html

There were five of us racing in our class.. here are the top three.. Me (on the left), Kim (in the middle) was the one who got first.. The other girl got third, her name is Rebecca.    http://www.tslegends.com/2005_0430_ftf/ftf_set04/IMG_0844.html

Here we are receiving our awards http://www.tslegends.com/2005_0430_ftf/ftf_set05/IMG_0901.html

I like this pic of me getting ready for the 3 lap race.. My thighs look unrealistically small heheheh  http://www.tslegends.com/2005_0430_ftf/ftf_set01/IMG_0428.html

Jayde had a 102 fever Saturday http://www.tslegends.com/2005_0430_ftf/ftf_set01/IMG_0423.html

This photo shows what can go wrong on some descents we rode: http://www.tslegends.com/2005_0430_ftf/ftf_set01/IMG_0449.html

Well, that's it for another race recap.  :)  Thanks for reading! Feel free to browse the other photos around those if you're interested in the MTB scene in "flat" Kansas.
http://www.jrmints.com/biking/05_0430_ftf/mainindex.html

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Terry, thanks so much for all the awesome photos you shot of the entire event... and congrats on the new camera!!

PS