So I ended up pretty frustrated not ending on the podium even once this year.  This was my last mountain bike race of the year, and I thought for sure it would have been the one to get a medal.  I ran in to everyone before the race:  Urbina, Allen, Bob, Matt Cerkel, JT, Piper, and the roaring mouse crew.  I spent about a half hour on the trainer warming up and was already hot.  I went and rode around for a little bit, just to make sure my bike was working and then headed to the start.  I sort of eyeballed my competition and nobody looked like they were going to be easy to get by.

 

The guy said go and everyone took off.  As usual, I started pretty slow, but gradually caught a few people by the time we hit the single track.  I fought with one guy for about the first mile of the single track, but he burnt out and I went by him.  I was feeling pretty good and kept pushing hard.  About half way through the first lap, I passed Julie from Roaring Mouse, but didn't have time to chat.  There were a couple of guys, one of which was in my class, right behind me.  So a quick hello and back to my race.  I slowly started catching the expert women and the single speeders, which made me feel pretty good.  I was really starting to catch people from the earlier starts. 

 

On the last climb before the whoopdy doos, I passed Paule from roaring mouse.  He commented on the fact that I was having a good race and that motivated me a little more.  So through the whoopdy doos with no hangups and off to the fire road.  I caught a couple more people and back in the single track.  I was feeling the effects of the heat, but was still feeling good.  Mentally, I really had pumped myself up.  Even though my legs were getting a little tired, I was flowing really well and riding smart.  About a mile into the single track, I saw Urbina.  Wow!  I am really flying if I caught him!  Turns out, right as I went by, he was having mechanical problems.  I offered help, but I don't think he recognized me.  So that was a little deflating.  I figured if I could make up my the time between our starts (4 minutes I think) on him, I have to be top three. 

 

Once we got to the hills again, I was in a group of 3 single speeders.  We kept passing each other back and forth, but never getting in each others way.  Through the whoopdy doos again cleanly and time to start hammering.  Two guys were right behind me drafting.  So after a little while, I dropped back in line to take my turn at resting.  By the time we hit the flat part, we had caught some people.  But I couldn't keep up with the original two guys.  So I passed another expert female on the steep down hill, and one guy right before the track.  I hammered my way around the track and came in through the finish line. 

 

I thought I had to have placed.  I felt pretty good the whole race.  Allen was already finished, but said he had just come in (he ended up finishing 54 seconds faster than me).  When I went to the table, I wasn't in the top three.  I was really pissed.  I ended up 5th out of 7 and about a minute slower than last year.  Overall, I was pretty let down.  The same two guys have been kicking my a$$ all year.  They took 1st and 3rd at sea otter, and were 3rd and 1st yesterday.  The real kicker is that I think I may have have won in the expert class.  There was only one guy in the class and he finished about 27 minutes behind Urbina.  So, I think the sandbaggers were out in full force this weekend with the incentive of one less lap.  But still, no excuse.  They are just plain faster than me.  So not too bad of a year.  I had hoped for more, but thats the way it goes. 

 

Matt

5/7 1:57:05

 

Class Name	Place	Name	Result	Race #
45-49 Expert Male	3/4	Michael Urbina	2:50:24	647
Single Speed	5/13	Allan Sherlock	1:56:11	641
Senior 2 Sport Men	5/7	Matt Leonard	1:57:05	526
35-39 Sport Male	16/17	Matt Cerkel	2:29:47	681
Master Sport Men	6/8	Bob Lofland	2:16:18	611
Senior Sport Women	3/5	Piper Ehlen	2:27:58	677