OMBC#5: East Fork Race Report

I am going to preface this race report with a summary of my week.
Monday: 4th of July spent hanging around the apartment
Tuesday: Rode with Justin in the morning to show group ride route, then worked
Wednesday: Worked, then hung out with Jess, Jared, Caitlyn, and the rest of the D-clan
Thursday: Work and Shadowbox! Followed by staying up until 3 in the morning watching Top Gear
Friday: Work and sleep
Saturday: Work, short ride, sleep.

So it pretty apparent that I didn't get a lot of sleep and didn't ride much throughout the week. Which leads me to today's race.

Chris and I drove out to Eastfork together, in what is beginning to become a Sunday routine. We nabbed a nice little spot by one of several closed restrooms (evidently in this economy, the parks commission has decided to abandon parts of Eastfork). During our pre-ride we found that the course still had a lot of mud holes, some of which had branches laid across them to attempt to minimize damage to the trail. What probably was not thought of was how much damage the mud soaked branches could cause to the racers. Most of these spots where on the beginner trails, which I think we could have easy done without (this is a very biased opinion as you will soon find out).

The first mile and a half of the race was a paved climb to the beginner trail. My Garmin told me that this section of the race was about 110 degrees. Whatever the temperature, it was scorching form the top (sun) and bottom (pavement). In my normal fashion I nailed it from the get go and hit. Leading up to the trail head my legs began to feel a little dull. Not quite dead, but close, so I eased up and let a few people lead me into the woods. A handful more passed me throughout the woods, only to have me catch them on the road section on the second lap.

Shortly into the woods the second time I lofted my front wheel over a mud hole filled with branches. When my front wheel came down on one of the last branches, it shifted and my front wheel slid out sending me sprawling over the trail. And bashing the family jewels into my frame. And both knees into something hard. After a minute or two sitting of leaning over my bike and letting most of the race go by me, I was able to (gingerly) get back on the saddle and continue on my way. After what seemed like an eternity, I made it back to the pavement and caught one of the riders who had passed me while I was immobile. He had just enough left in him to out kick me to the line. Which is how I would up last by  3 seconds.

Now back at home, I am planning on taking these next two weeks to train and pick up a little more speed in my legs. Hopefully Versailles (two weeks away) will treat me a little better.