Treadfest

            I have been looking forward to this race for awhile. I don’t typically do WORS races, but when it's just down the road and on an awesome course you'd be silly not to attend.

            My race would be about 90 minutes long which is a sprint compared to the races I usually attend.  I raced the Comp (Cat 2) which is one step down from the PRO/Cat1 racers.

10,9,8,7,6,5…………Goooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!

Sprint, sprint, sprint! Straight up Grand Geneva Ski hill, started mid pack with about 20 guys ahead.

Crest the hill and fly back down, try to catch my breath without sucking to much dust.  Fly down a short gravel road and sneak past a couple guys.  Head back up the hill again and pass a few… try for one more and he closes the door on me.

Back down the hill, don’t touch those brakes! Carry that momentum back up the hill one more time… 4 guys ahead, one is wheezing,  bye bye.  3 more, one loses traction in the rocky corner.  2 more, I'm content with heading into the woods in third, then I find a way past this guy and I am in second.

Now the nerves are kicking in… this is where I want to be but not where I expected to be.  Keep pushing!  A couple miles of single track and we head into the rock garden, a popular spectator point.  People cheering, a guy with a super loud blow horn going off… somehow I am able to here Christina "Go David!"  She seemed to be caught up in it as well.

30 minutes in and lap 1 ends, time to start climbing the ski hill three times again.  Its easy though because I know after this I only need to do it one more time.  I see Christina again at the top of the climb, offering a fresh bottle, thing is that I haven't even pulled mine out yet.  I haven't even had time to think about nutrition or water or anything just GO!

Lap two ends and I haven't seen the leader since the start, I also haven't seen third place (thankfully).  Climb the hills one more time, I know if I push it over the limit here I can catch my breath in the woods.  I meet the relief of the tight single track and tell myself "just ride smooth and finish, you've got this."

Then BAM!  My chin was in the dirt before I even realized what happened.  My hands never left the handlebars to protect my face.  No time for pain just get up and get GOING!

Someone is catching up, I don’t recognize him… "is he in my class?" Who cares just don't let him by!

The finish line… Finally.

Good job, Daddy!