No Posts in a While...

So its been a while since I last posted. A lot has gone on as well. There has been a lot of singletrack riding. Lets see. Where did I leave off in my life before not posting for a while. Oh yeah, I've done a couple of races lately. Some good, some not so impressive.

For starters, I did the 6 Hours of Heritage race that was put on by Dirty Spokes Productions. The course was pretty rad. The race was hosted at the Oconee Heritage Park which is located outside of Athens. That weekend consisted of pretty dreary conditions. When we showed up to the event, it was in the mid-30's with light mist rain. It stayed this way throughout the entire day and never got any better. If you've ever rode these trails, you know that Heritage Park is full of roots. This made for some fun climbs and decents. Overall, I enjoyed it. I'm still suffering after the 3 hour mark during these 6 hour races. I wouldn't call my level quite racing though. Its more or less about going out and riding as long as I can. I was able to turn 3 laps and then called it a day. Good times though.

So the following week consisted of as much riding as I could fit in my schedule. I had to get my mind and body ready for the kick off of the Georgia Series Championship at East Macon Park. This was the first race of an 8 race series throughout the state of Georgia. Luckily the first race is in my backyard and I had the convienance of riding the course everday for over a week. By race day, I was ready. But come race day, I wasn't the only one ready. Turns out a buddy of mine from one of the shops here in town showed up to race and entered the base class with me. Now this guy has been riding strong for a while now. I think base class qualified him as a sandbagger but hey, it was his first race. Once the horn blew, he was gone and I didn't see him for the rest of the race.

The East Macon race started out by hitting a lap on the BMX track and then we entered the woods for 6 miles of sandy singletrack racing. The BMX track threw in a pretty cool mix. I about went over the bars on the first jump but gathered my bearings and cranked out a strong lap. Once we hit the woods I was about 5th place. The guy infront of me was laying it down pretty good but he wasnt pushing as hard as I wanted to go. There was one point where the course came out of the woods and into a short field that allowed for some passing opportunities. So I took advantage of this spot and passed the 4th place guy. After that, he stuck right onto my wheel and held with me. We were pushing pretty hard when we came up to the steepest hill on the course. This hill is about 200 ft long and pretty steep. There is only one good line up the hill which zigs and zags back and forth up to the top. About half way up, the guy behind me shouts that he is going to pass right. I replied that there is only one line and at that point I'm heading towards the right side of the trail so I don't quit pedaling due to the steep grade. The other guy then runs off the trail and into some thick leaves. Next thing I hear are some explicit words. Obviously he's pissed. About a mile later, he catches me on a flat section where my single speed gearing spins out. I decide to hold back for a bit and to let him wear down a little. At this point, I still can't find 1st and 2nd or 3rd. I'm sitting back in 5th getting some recovery back into my legs. Once we finish our first lap, I get a brief glimpse of the 2nd place guy and see that I've gained on 3rd and 4th. About halfway through the 2nd lap, I pass a the 4th place guy and catch up to the previous rider who is mad at me. I'm trailing right on his rear wheel for about 5 minutes trying to pass him. I shout out my intentions and he just isn't letting me around. I try to the left, he blocks. I try to the right, he blocks again. So I start rubbing his rear tire. Then I start grunting to get on his nerves. I can hear him grumbling something but can't make out any words. I then realize we are approaching a really sandy turn and prepare to make my move. He hits the turn and his bike drifts to the right. At that point, I make my move and hit it to the left. Now I've passed him with about a 1/4 lap to go. I'm gone. There was no letting up for me. I knew I'd pissed the other guy off and I had to ride hard to seperate us in order to hold my 3rd place position. I also was trying to focus on possibly catching 2nd. The last 1 1/2 mile is the toughest at this course. It includes 2 sustained climbs and one short sprint climb. There was nothing holding me back. On the last climb, I exited the woods and into the field. Right before the finish line, the course directs you through a volleyball pit. I plowed right through and finished in 3rd. I was about 45 seconds behind 2nd. What a great race. It was actually eventful. I got to pass a couple of guys and raced hard.

So after the race, I just rode the commuter bike casually for about a week. This was last week. Also, last week, I was offered a part time gig at Bike Tech. I'm working as needed a little here and there. Its a pretty good gig. I'm still working at Geico as my full time deal. So if you get a chance, come in and visit.