Singletrack race today -- 5th in the series, 4th for me. It was everything a mountain bike race should be: muddy, wet, wicked fun. The course was out in Maple Valley, and I like these trails the best so far. But I think I'll wait until about August to ride them again.
It dumped rain from the time I woke up until about 4p today. DUMPED RAIN. Buckets of it. Per usual, the Cat 2's were the 3rd group to race. So by the time we got ready to rumble, they had altered the course because one of the loops was in such bad shape (i.e. under water) -- we even had to wait 30 minutes extra before we rumbled because the Cat 1's were taking much longer than anticipated. The rest of the course was so muddy that there wasn't ever much speed. So muddy that the rear tire didn't do much other than spin half the time. But it didn't matter much because when you fell over and landed in 6-8 inches of mud, it didn't really hurt. Forty degrees isn't really optimal rain & mud riding temperature, but once I got moving it was ok. I got out near the front, and jockeyed with two other girls for position through the first lap, but fell behind on the second. Chicked a handful of dudes, one of whom gave me a lot of lip about his suffer hole before finally getting out of the way. I think I came in 5th for the women, which is much better than I've done before, and that's exciting. I ran into one of the women I used to race with on Thumbprint a few years ago, so I actually had fun chatting before and after the race. Cathy also loaned me her plastic jacket that she thought would be too warm for the ride, and for that I am grateful. Without it, the phone and the car keys in my back jersey pocket would have surely drowned. Today would have been a great day for photos, but I don't think the usual photographer braved the weather. The guys coming off the Cat 1 race were FULLY caked in mud. We did a little better since we skipped the worst section of the course, but it still took me 20 minutes to peel off my soaked spandex back at the car and get into some sorta dry sweats. Heated seats were Heaven-sent, as was a hot shower back home. And then pan-fried chicken, and leftover chocolate cake. I'm instituting Chance's One-Beer-A-Day rule, and after one IPA I was pretty well done anyway.
Now the pinky toe that I crushed on last week's ride is all tucked into an ice pack because apparently racing on it wasn't a good idea. Even racing in icy muddy water, which is kind of like rest and ice. And I've somehow been sucked into the Country Music Awards. Lots of poofy dresses, lots of platform heels... and who puts a pregnant woman in spandex? Lots of killer legs on the ladies though -- glad to see muscle in en vogue, not this skinny starving supermodel crap.
Friday was Tom's birthday, and I made Mom Potter's chocolate chip zucchini cake to take over to the Brown Turtles. I had started the evening with a shot of Jameson on the rocks with my new management friends, then plenty of wine with Scott, Mary, Richard, "Yooody" and Harold. Needless to say, Saturday morning was not pretty. But I always feel better about life after seeing that crowd -- just really truly loved, and that is worth a hangover any day.
Saturday was relatively uneventful, rain on and off all day. I slept in which was much needed since I felt like the walking dead all week. Brunch with Regan and a mimosa, then Gaia met NGP who will take care of her for the week that I'm in Huntington Beach. I went up to Dana's for dinner -- risotto (no surprise), spinach salad, wine (also no surprise) and leftover cake with frozen yogurt and strawberries. She sent me home before a second bottle was opened, which I think was her way of keeping me hydrated for race day.
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