Since I sold my computer earlier this year, it has been difficult to update this thing as often as I would like. So, here is my Iola recap, as it is long over due. I was so excited leading up to this race, it is surprising that I did not find a way to post sooner, but that's life I guess.
We got up to Iola on Saturday afternoon with plenty of time to register and get a couple of laps in. We registered first and as we came out to get ready to ride we ran into the Eppens. They were on their way to try out the trails. Since we had Maddie Bean with us (and she can be a problem) it took a bit longer than usual to get our gear together to go ride, but we were in no hurry. On top of it all, the wind was HORRIBLE! It was so strong that it actually blew Kyle's bike over several times. Mind you his bike is pretty light, but the wind should not be able to blow it over. Anyway, we got out on the course and did a couple of laps. It had plenty of ups and downs, especially at the beginning, and gradually flattened out a bit and turned into mostly single track. It was going to be a tough race, with lots of suffering, but I felt that I could live up to the challenge.
After our practice laps, we got out tent set up in the campgrounds and went to town for some dinner. Then, we watched as much Off Road to Athens as we could with the battery life Kyle's computer had left and then went to sleep. Maddie spent part of the night in the tent and after having to go potty, she spent the rest of the night in the car. After getting up with her, I had a really hard time trying to go back to sleep, but of course, shortly after I was able to fall back to sleep, Stinky started whining from the car. So, I got up to tend to her.
The morning of the race was great. It was cool, but the wind was gone. I pretty much piddled around until Kyle's race started at 11:30. Then, I started to get myself ready. Kyle ended up 39th over all in the sport class out of 250 people and 6th in his age group (30-34).
As I was warming up, I saw Brian and Kim warming up too. I had been worried the day before that there wasn't going to be a good place to get my heart rate up. Pretty much the first thing you do on that course is go up a HUGE f-ing hill, so I knew I needed to get my heart going pretty good before we started. Fortunately, there were a couple of decent sized hills to climb around the place, so that turned out to not be much of a problem.
We lined up and less than a minute after the Men's Expert race started, we were off. Kim just tore the place up. She was off the front and I never really saw her again. As I was climbing that first hill, I somehow got boxed in and the only way I could get around the fodder was to take this horrendous line on the right through all kinds of crap. It worked in the fact that I got around a bunch of people and was in 6th at the top of the hill, but I had used so much energy, it would several laps before I could compose myself.
After that hill and for the next lap and a half, the battle was on between me and another rider Holly Liske. She would school me on the down hills and through the single track, but I was able to close the gap every time we started to climb. As a said, this went on for a lap and a half when I finally got around her on one of the up hills. She told me good job as I passed and I must have looked like a jerk for not saying it back, but I literally could not speak on account of my lack of oxygen. The fact is she was also doing a great job and I was having a great time racing this closely with her.
At the start of the third lap, it seemed to me that I had settled into 5th place and was just in it for the long haul. Lisa Krayer was 30 seconds up the road, but I only had enough energy to maintain the position I was in and I thought that was the case for Holly behind me as well. Then, out of nowhere, this rider comes flying around me and says "Good job Kim." I look up and she has a number in the 500's and I realize, this is a woman in my race!!! How had I let this happen? Not knowing who this was, I quickly grabbed her wheel and started following her lines. She was amazing in the single track...so good that she eventually pulled away from me. Before then though, she and I chatted. She realized I was not Kim and I learned that her name was Sue. Battle #2 for me at the old Iola was about to begin.
She had pulled away from me enough that she was at the top of the first big hill before I even started it. I had all but assumed she was going to beat me, until we hit the next big hill. This time she was only part of the way up when I started climbing. Then the next hill I was even closer again. Finally, on the last of the monster hills, I not only caught back to her, I passed her. The race was now truly on. I knew she was better than me in the single track, so I had to push every little short climb and work the single track as best as I knew how if I was to stay ahead of her. It seemed to be working until about a mile before the finish when first this kid that was in front of me went down in the middle of the trail and then the leaders from the men's race came up behind me and essentially demanded that I get out of there way. As I did I knew she was closing in on me. As we got to the last tiny bit of single track I rode it faster than I had all day, just hoping it would be enough. As I emerged from the woods, I put my head town and got to the finish as quickly as possible. It turned out that I only beat her by like 13 seconds, but it was enough to take fifth.
Kim won of course, but like 5 minutes over Abby. She caught the back of the Men's Expert field on the first lap. It was an extremely demanding race against some of the most talented women I know. I was a little disappointed for not being closer to the front from the get go, but I raced hard and 5th against this group of women was not easy.
Round 2 for me in the WORS series will be the weekend of June 7th up in Wausau for the Big Ring Classic. Should be fun...I can't wait!
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