This turned out to be a great race for me. I felt really good the whole time, I was determined to not bonk (like I did in a serious way at my last race). I found a nice rhythm & just maintained it. The expert & pro women started together & I wasn't keeping track of who I had passed so I thought I'd finished 3rd or 4th. Much to my surprise I got 1st! Pre-riding the day before helped, just knowing about the hike-a-bike & immediate descent was great. I also knew the mileage, so at the half way point on each lap I took a shot of gel. I also drank CarboRocket throughout the race, this broke the cardinal rule of never tying something for the first time at a race. Luckily I loved it & it sat well with me.

The funny part about the course was that I thought the last 2 miles of the loop that I hadn't ridden previously (due to a lost coat) were just going to be a mellow ride mostly descending. Little did I know they were quite the suffer fest of short hills. A storm rolled in during my second lap and created a head wind for my descent then it started to rain & hail. I thought I heard thunder too, but then I realized it was people doing gun practice of some sort near the course. Glad I wasn't shot! Oh yes, then there were 3 motorcyclists that came riding on the trail going the opposite way. I love it when Guns, ATVs & motorcycles are part of a race course.

Here is the link to my Garmin stats. Take a look for fun!