The Warda Race

April 15, 2007

 -- By Henry Reeve:

For my race, I found that, as expected, I have little to no offroad skilz. My fitness was average, and I was typically able to make up ground on the straights and climbs, and then loose ground in the twisty or fast downhill parts.

Both times up The Pass, I was able to pass other riders, and make it to the top strong.

About halfway through 30 Aker Woods on the 2nd lap, I felt my rear tire getting soft (well, I felt the rim bottoming out). I stopped to check it, it seemed fine so I kept on. A minute latter, I decided it really was flat. I had a can of Zefal sealant, so I put that in. White gooey stuff went everywhere, and the tire still seemed pretty soft. I got on, started riding, realized I hadn't closed the valve, got off, fixed that, then started again. (I think this was when D2 passed me). Coming out of the woods, the tire was still soft. After crossing that new 2X6 bridge heading towards Gas Pass, and bottoming the rim out, I stopped again to see what I could do. I had a couple of CO2 cartridges, so I inflated the tire, and go going again. That seemed to do the trick. Just before going up Pay Dirt bridge, I started to feel the harbingers of hypoglycemia, so I pounded some Hammer Gel, and kept going. By the time I was in the roller coaster for the last time, my sugars were getting better, but I was pretty spent, but I made it to the finish in one piece.

I know I lost 4 or 5 places with the flat. I know I was way too conservative, especially after the flat. I did bounce off a few trees here and there, and my shoulders are feeling it today.

I will no longer consider mt bike racers to be lesser people for racing off road. Mt bike racing is HARD!
 

 -- By Doug Webb:
As any good MTB race weekend goes, many things to say and many things never to be told. Great to see James and Henry there. My race repoire:

I was in 4th place behind yellow jersey guy for awhile, (Henry, you should have taken him out for me). Got past him, then blue jersey
guy shows up, passes me in the woods, I pass him back in front of the team mulisha cheerleading squad, he passes me after the 2nd down
hill, I miss some gears and away he goes. Podium just got farther away! Damn!

I make the climb and he's not that far away. Allen shows up everywhere in the woods to tell me my skirt keeps getting caught in the sprocket, that's why I'm so slow and other four letter words of encouragement. (He also tells the guy in blue he should rest that I'm pretty far behind) At this point my body is done, 200 yards to go, one last blast and I'm close behind, we both pass a lapper and hit this small rooted uphill section, he falls to the right and I pass him on the left, he gets up to go and the poor lapper dude runs right into him! Man that was alot of cussing! Unfortunately, the finish was for 4th, not 3rd as we thought. Another damn! Oh well, that was close racing! Something you guys have probably had alot of, but my first time and it was great.

Another great weekend for everyone!

Team Tilson can't be stopped!

 -- By Matthew Morgan:

It was a beautiful race day.

Got a bad start. I think I was 5th from last at the first turn. Then suffered the bottle neck effect when we entered the single track. I made about 3 passes on the first jeep road then 2 more after the barn. Went around the pond and filed in behind Team Ortho as we entered the single track.

There where about four of us making are way through the woods. The two in front of me were doing there best to drop me, and it eventually worked, (I caught them on the last lap and put a minute on them) so now just me and another guy where trucking along. We came out of the woods and those guys were gone. Kept my head down and headed up the jeep road to the next pond. I bombed down Gas Pass then made my way up the The Pass and descended down Mule Trace. First lap was over and 3 more to go, but I was feeling fresh and every lap I went a little faster. Then put it down for the 4th lap past 5 more guys and got 16th.

I should have gone a little faster in the beginning and stayed at least in the top ten group. I gained about 5 positions on the last lap. I never have been good a reserves I save up to much. Overall I'm happy how it went, and have learned a few more lessens that will hopefully put me in the top ten soon.