Rhetts Run 09

This was my first time to Rhetts run and also my first race as a Expert/Cat1. I have heard nothing but good things about this race and was excited to go especially because the weather was looking good and the dirtbike racing has been very limited this year it seems.

I was about 15 miles from the race when the roads became wet. It wasn't raining but it was clear that it recently had. I was bummed. It has rained so fucking much this year. I think cross season needs to be extended and MTB races should start later...just a idea. Some of the marathon class racers bikes were looking pretty muddy at the end of the first lap which was an even bigger blow. I decided to start getting ready and got my new yellow shoes out. Just as soon as I did the radiation coming off them blew the clouds away and the sun started to pop out. Later when I got my pink sun glasses out the sun started getting hot. Hmmm...weird.

NOTE: I have never got so many fucked up looks from people wearing the shit I was wearing. Clash-tastic!

By the time our race finally started the trails where almost prefect. Some of the racers coming in from pre-laps were not muddy at all which was a huge relief.

The first lap went pretty well for me. I was riding in a group the entire time with my sport class rival Drew Black and came through with a 24:50-something lap time. The second lap I could tell that my HR was not coming down the way it would if I have been riding and training for racing...which I have not been for the past 3 weeks(weather sucks, birthday, Memorial day). The third lap started slow but I started to put it together a little. I started to focus on getting fluids and calories on the sections I could which had to help. I started my 4th lap feeling decent and rode pretty strong I felt. Not really sure how fast my lap was but it doesn't really matter because I didn't catch anyone. In fact, I got lapped by the eventual winner Mr. Breslin.

At the end of my 4th lap I was done. The cut off was 1 hour and 30 minutes. This format sucks by the way. Its kind of like going to work and not having a clock to look at.

My finishing position was pretty much last in expert. This was heartbreaking for me because I don't want to be that "Expert" rider that shouldn't be racing expert. I know my fitness was not good coming into the race so I know I have tons a room to improve. In checking my times I wasn't that far off from a few of the guys in front of me. I cringed, but had to look to see what the sport times where. The good news is... my fastest lap was almost 4 minutes faster than the sports fastest lap and by time I was faster overall also. So that's good at least.

I have a ton of work to do if I want to be able to ride at the intense levels of the expert category. I am planning on putting in a couple of hard weeks (weather depending) and pulling a better result at St. Joe state park on the 21st. Hope to see everyone there.

Untill next time.





Holla atcha boy....