Want fast, narrow, fun singletrack?  Then Howell
Mountain is the race for you.  Not very technical, not
a lot of climbing.  Just a lot of fun, winding
singletrack.  What more could a girl want?
 
Race morning started with a good warmup around this
cutesy Napa town and some chatting with the Matt's
(Cerkel, Leonard, Berman). I made my way to the start
line and found some smiley Bellas (Karen, Daphne) and
we're off.  A few minites of fireroad and we're in the
trees, out of the hot Napa sun and into some super
narrow, easy, smile-producing singletrack.  What a
blast.

A few easy climbs toward the end of each lap gave me
the opportunity to pass a few Sport women and men.
Unfortunately, I was passed by a Cabo Wabo rider that
I had been fending off for nearly the whole race. I
never caught her again. I made my last pass on the
flat fireroad at the end of the second lap, a Sport
woman who I thought I would have to battle until the
end, but I hammered past her and gave all my energy in
the hopes of leaving her in the dust - which I did.
As I sat at the finish line trying to recover from the
last push, I waited for her to finish and she was a
full minute behind me. I guess I didn't need to push
as hard as I did, but it was good for me all the same.

I finished in 2:27, 3rd in Senior Sport Women.

What a great way to spend a Sunday in Northern
California.

Piper


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