Bottomed Out Inwards Sandy
September 03, 2016
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Sandy Bottom Hare Scramble. Round 10 of the VCHSS series. August 21, 2016, Penhook, VA.
The rut beats downward on the riders equally the Sun gets higher inwards the sky, the humidity wraps itself roughly y'all similar a moisture hug from your to the lowest degree favorite, well-nigh sweaty fat aunt. As park I am the idiot inwards the all dark protective gear, soaking upwards the warmth similar a boom furnace sponge. Won't live together with thus bad i time nosotros acquire moving...
If I e'er fucking acquire moving. The dark-green flag drops together with I boot the Gas Gas EC300 over hard. Nothing happens. I'd been practicing this together with it lit every fourth dimension initiative off try. Second boot together with all the same nothing. The other riders are starting fourth dimension to tear away inwards a cloud of dust together with before long I am alone. Kicking frantically alongside no success. Yeah, I'm that fucking guy today. I don't know what's worse, the exhaustion or embarrassment.
Seconds plow into a infinitesimal together with the officials are trying to motility me from the business together with thus they tin start the side yesteryear side wave. Finally the slice of shit lights together with I am gone alongside a initiative off together with 2nd gear wheelie that lasts nearly the length of the field. It's the longest wheelie I receive got e'er done together with I couldn't repeat it if I tried.
I remind myself to salvage some unloosen energy for the 3 laps of this 8.5 mile technical single-track course, but I receive got to grab the other bozos inwards my class. After 35 minutes of bouncing together with bounding through the woods, picking off stragglers, dodging guys stuck on hillclimbs, I order timing together with scoring. From lastly to 5th. Ok, that's good. Two laps to go, but damn I am already tired together with dripping alongside perspiration. Pants are soaked, goggle foam is soaked together with leaking on to my facial expression upwards together with I am pretty certain my encephalon is simmering similar spaghetti sauce inwards my helmet, fifty-fifty my boots experience squishy together with nosotros haven't had whatever H2O crossings. I must receive got leaked one-half of myself out yesteryear now.
Another long lap, the 2nd i lasts 34 minutes, but this fourth dimension I receive got rabbits to chase, finally able to meet 4th, 3rd together with 2nd place. A quick business modify on a rocky, rutted together with rooty uphill puts me into the fourth spot, but he isn't willing to give it upwards together with thus easily. We merchandise positions together with mistakes for the side yesteryear side 10 minutes. I am exhausted. My caput doesn't experience quite right. Ignore it. Keep going.
I grab a glimpse of xanthous fender together with know I've caught the 3rd house Suzuki rider. I give chase, catching him simply equally the woods destination together with the champaign department begins. The right-hander opens upwards together with I brand my move, shifting to 3rd patch all the same leaned over inwards the corner, drifting out to the small-scale berm, inching yesteryear the Suzuki, drifting....inching.....
Crashing. I tuck the front end equally the bike decides it doesn't desire to grab the small-scale berm, but would rather canvass over it together with throw me downward to the terra firma for my insolence. The crash is jarring together with it hurts, but well-nigh of my torso seems intact. It takes iii kicks to acquire started again, all alongside my left leg because the correct i is useless. I remount, but my encephalon is telling me I am done. This is the starting fourth dimension of the 3rd lap together with my descent into Hell.
I never meet 3rd house again. In fact, I appear to live seeing less together with less equally my eyesight narrows into tunnel vision. Things are too occasionally getting blurry. Pulling a tear-off does non help. Removing the goggles doesn't either. I shove the quaff subway inwards my oral cavity together with suck it all down. Someone is tightening a giant security band roughly my chest. My arms are noodles. I can't stand upwards up. It's all I tin produce to hold the bike upright together with recollect to shift. There is no forcefulness remaining. What scary feeling when your torso starts shutting downward together with y'all know it. My lastly rational idea is to acquire off the damn course of report together with strip naked. Like well-nigh rational together with sensible suggestions inwards my life, it's ignored. I'm an idiot together with I know it.
Somehow I complete the race. 4th. I've got a pretty proficient illustration of rut exhaustion together with dehydration, despite all my preparations together with preparation to the contrary. I'm embarrassed to tell that I made the incorrect determination to continue. Risking non only my safety, but potentially (had at that spot been anyone around) other riders' equally well. I don't experience tough, or similar I accomplished anything. Nothing to a greater extent than than getting lucky. And y'all tin only force your luck together with thus many times until it bites you. Lesson learned.
I've ofttimes said that racing is a lot similar life. Today proves no different. No affair how good prepared, how proficient y'all feel, how much of a badass y'all intend y'all are, y'all tin really easily acquire your donkey kicked. I certain did.
Six weeks away from racing. Been riding every weekend, despite the sweltering VA rut together with humidity. I experience good. I experience prepared. I could non receive got been to a greater extent than wrong.
The rut beats downward on the riders equally the Sun gets higher inwards the sky, the humidity wraps itself roughly y'all similar a moisture hug from your to the lowest degree favorite, well-nigh sweaty fat aunt. As park I am the idiot inwards the all dark protective gear, soaking upwards the warmth similar a boom furnace sponge. Won't live together with thus bad i time nosotros acquire moving...
If I e'er fucking acquire moving. The dark-green flag drops together with I boot the Gas Gas EC300 over hard. Nothing happens. I'd been practicing this together with it lit every fourth dimension initiative off try. Second boot together with all the same nothing. The other riders are starting fourth dimension to tear away inwards a cloud of dust together with before long I am alone. Kicking frantically alongside no success. Yeah, I'm that fucking guy today. I don't know what's worse, the exhaustion or embarrassment.
Seconds plow into a infinitesimal together with the officials are trying to motility me from the business together with thus they tin start the side yesteryear side wave. Finally the slice of shit lights together with I am gone alongside a initiative off together with 2nd gear wheelie that lasts nearly the length of the field. It's the longest wheelie I receive got e'er done together with I couldn't repeat it if I tried.
I remind myself to salvage some unloosen energy for the 3 laps of this 8.5 mile technical single-track course, but I receive got to grab the other bozos inwards my class. After 35 minutes of bouncing together with bounding through the woods, picking off stragglers, dodging guys stuck on hillclimbs, I order timing together with scoring. From lastly to 5th. Ok, that's good. Two laps to go, but damn I am already tired together with dripping alongside perspiration. Pants are soaked, goggle foam is soaked together with leaking on to my facial expression upwards together with I am pretty certain my encephalon is simmering similar spaghetti sauce inwards my helmet, fifty-fifty my boots experience squishy together with nosotros haven't had whatever H2O crossings. I must receive got leaked one-half of myself out yesteryear now.
Another long lap, the 2nd i lasts 34 minutes, but this fourth dimension I receive got rabbits to chase, finally able to meet 4th, 3rd together with 2nd place. A quick business modify on a rocky, rutted together with rooty uphill puts me into the fourth spot, but he isn't willing to give it upwards together with thus easily. We merchandise positions together with mistakes for the side yesteryear side 10 minutes. I am exhausted. My caput doesn't experience quite right. Ignore it. Keep going.
Crashing. I tuck the front end equally the bike decides it doesn't desire to grab the small-scale berm, but would rather canvass over it together with throw me downward to the terra firma for my insolence. The crash is jarring together with it hurts, but well-nigh of my torso seems intact. It takes iii kicks to acquire started again, all alongside my left leg because the correct i is useless. I remount, but my encephalon is telling me I am done. This is the starting fourth dimension of the 3rd lap together with my descent into Hell.
I never meet 3rd house again. In fact, I appear to live seeing less together with less equally my eyesight narrows into tunnel vision. Things are too occasionally getting blurry. Pulling a tear-off does non help. Removing the goggles doesn't either. I shove the quaff subway inwards my oral cavity together with suck it all down. Someone is tightening a giant security band roughly my chest. My arms are noodles. I can't stand upwards up. It's all I tin produce to hold the bike upright together with recollect to shift. There is no forcefulness remaining. What scary feeling when your torso starts shutting downward together with y'all know it. My lastly rational idea is to acquire off the damn course of report together with strip naked. Like well-nigh rational together with sensible suggestions inwards my life, it's ignored. I'm an idiot together with I know it.
Somehow I complete the race. 4th. I've got a pretty proficient illustration of rut exhaustion together with dehydration, despite all my preparations together with preparation to the contrary. I'm embarrassed to tell that I made the incorrect determination to continue. Risking non only my safety, but potentially (had at that spot been anyone around) other riders' equally well. I don't experience tough, or similar I accomplished anything. Nothing to a greater extent than than getting lucky. And y'all tin only force your luck together with thus many times until it bites you. Lesson learned.
I've ofttimes said that racing is a lot similar life. Today proves no different. No affair how good prepared, how proficient y'all feel, how much of a badass y'all intend y'all are, y'all tin really easily acquire your donkey kicked. I certain did.
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| This is the only photograph of a race I would rather forget. Slightly ironic is the fact that that is a KDX200 correct behind me. |