Columbia Rockbridge MTB race

This past Sunday was the Columbia Rockbridge mtb race. I was pumped up for this race thinking we had about 5 team members going. Well one by one, everyone backed out except for myself and Jason Pryor. Brad was unsure if he was going until 7:30 Sunday morning he sent me a text telling me to go without him. So I headed off to Columbia, by myself.
I pulled into the parking lot to see Jason and Keith Weinkein. Went to the registration table and decided to get a little warm up in. Keith and I rode about 3 miles or so and turned back around because we had a prerace meeting. I timed it really well, only having 20 minutes to get a drink and start the race, so I had no time to sit around and get tired.
We lined up at the start, Jason and I in the middle. I asked him what his strategy was and he said that he really didnt know. So the horn went off and we took off. Jason immediately sprinted out of the gate, shit now i have to play catch up. I was in the middle of the pack around the first turn when we hit a little rough spot and my chain locked up. I couldnt move my peddles at all! I had to jump off of the bike and figure out what the hell went wrong. I fixed it in a minute or two but now I am in last place, dead freaking last!!! I now had to weasle my way through some very slow traffic, and some guys wouldnt let me pass so I had to take the hard way. About 5 miles into it I started seeing the guys in front. I was probably in 8th or so place when there came a long grass uphill section. Obviously the people in this pack were starting to fade quickly. I pulled up on their rear wheel. There were about 7 guys in a straight line. Some from other age brackets. I decided this was my time and my legs had been feeling awesome all day. I pulled to the side and passed every freakin one of them, with authority. I blew right by them and never saw them again. Now I felt really good! I got some extra energy by blowing past them, so I opened up a GU energy gell and swallowed it whole. I knew in about 10-15 minutes I would get the extra kick i was looking for. There was then another stretch of grass and I passed a few more people. I was holding my spot for a long time when we came to a pretty technical climb. I saw 4 guys walking up the hill breathing very heavily. Since I had been feeling so good all day, I decided to hammer through. I passed them with ease and slammed up the hill and never looked back.
The start of the second lap I was in 3rd place. I had given everything trying to catch up to Pryor. I turned the corner and saw him with a flat tire. Well shit, now I am in second but I didnt want to pass him that way! I pushed on by myself for a while longer and saw another busken and another girl on the same long grass section that I passed so many on the first lap. I passed them two and asked Brian if he was ok, he said it was one of those days! I rode the rest of the lap by myself trying to catch up to the first place guy. Never caught him.
I ended up in 2nd, best finish yet for me! Took home another medal and now I have to get ready for Castlewood this coming Sunday.
Jay