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04-23-06, 06:06 PM
Well I did my first mtb race of the year today. It was at Mountwood Park near Parkersburg, WV. The race started off pretty well. I couldn't get to the front row so I started in the second or third row back behind a couple of kids wearing sweat pants shorts, this kind of scared me. I'm not real sure why they felt the need to start on the front row but oh well, what do I know. A minute later I took I made my way around them but unfortunately quite a few others started didn't have the same road block.
Anyway, the race started off with a one mile gravel road climb. I was feeling pretty good going up it. I managed to pass all of the sport racers except three. It then turned to a muddy singletrack. I was able to pass two of the remaing three sport racers in this singletrack. I passed two of them riding, one of them running up a short climb. At this point I was feeling pretty good. Now I started passing some of the Junior and Vet experts, then some of the women experts. I was feeling great. We hit about 1/4 mile of pavement and I continued to pass. We made it to some more single track where I went around four woment experts and a couple more junior/vet experts. We stayed on this singletrack for about 1/2 mile. It then went to pavement for 1/4 mile, I kept passing. I couldn't believe how great things were going and how great I was feeling.
We now entered a parking lot, another 1/4 mile and it would be all singletrack for the next 13 miles. I couldn't wait! I passed a couple more riders. Next thing I knew it felt like I came unclipped. I couldn't figure out why but oh well just clip back in right? WRONG!!!!!!! I looked down and I didn't have a pedal. It was still attached to my shoe!!!
What a way to end a day. Unfortunately the multi-tool I was carrying did not have the right size allen wrench to fit my crank brothers pedals. It is against the rules to borrow a tool from anyone else so that was the end of my day. Go from first to DNF in .05 seconds. My first mountain bike dnf in four years of racing.
Anyway, the race started off with a one mile gravel road climb. I was feeling pretty good going up it. I managed to pass all of the sport racers except three. It then turned to a muddy singletrack. I was able to pass two of the remaing three sport racers in this singletrack. I passed two of them riding, one of them running up a short climb. At this point I was feeling pretty good. Now I started passing some of the Junior and Vet experts, then some of the women experts. I was feeling great. We hit about 1/4 mile of pavement and I continued to pass. We made it to some more single track where I went around four woment experts and a couple more junior/vet experts. We stayed on this singletrack for about 1/2 mile. It then went to pavement for 1/4 mile, I kept passing. I couldn't believe how great things were going and how great I was feeling.
We now entered a parking lot, another 1/4 mile and it would be all singletrack for the next 13 miles. I couldn't wait! I passed a couple more riders. Next thing I knew it felt like I came unclipped. I couldn't figure out why but oh well just clip back in right? WRONG!!!!!!! I looked down and I didn't have a pedal. It was still attached to my shoe!!!
What a way to end a day. Unfortunately the multi-tool I was carrying did not have the right size allen wrench to fit my crank brothers pedals. It is against the rules to borrow a tool from anyone else so that was the end of my day. Go from first to DNF in .05 seconds. My first mountain bike dnf in four years of racing.