Iola bump and jump

Iola offically kicked off the WORS racing season. I like Iola, the soil is very light and it can handle the wet weather that we are going to have this time of year. During the preride I could tell it was going to be a fast race. The trails were just perfect and the tires stuck like glue in the corners. After last weekend I made sure I was going to have enough food in me for this race. We camped with the Baker's and had a feast that could have fed a small army Saturday night. Sunday morning I ate again before Cathy's race. She had another wonderfull race. This is a shot of her at the start.


Again she started slow and picked her way through the field. After the first set of climbs she had worked her way to 2nd place. As she worked her way through the single track she passed the leader and again never looked back. She came through for her final lap and looked really good. She was climbing strong and was having fun. At the finish she had opened a 2 minute gap on the second place lady!
As I prepared for my race I knew it was going to be fast and knew I had to keep things from getting out of controll at the start. We had a lot of climbing right away and I didn't want to pop and ruin the race 5 minutes in. The start was crazy, everyone trying to show that they had trained extra hard and everyone proving that they have NOT rode in a pack yet this year. We somehow made it up the climbs and were into the single track.


I was right, the course was fast! My first lap was 20 minutes, I could tell this was too fast so I sat up a little and had to just make it through the race. I was feeling alright for an early season race. I know I have a long ways to go before I am were I want to be but I think I have a good start on things. The bike was working good, my Maxxis MiMo tires again were a perfect choice, I have not found a trail that they are not perfect for. I think they are the best all around race tire I have ever rode! As I took the final lap I left everything on the trail. I was pushing to try and pull a group that got away back in but with no luck. I managed to keep the attacks from behind at bay and held my spot. At the finish I was 27th and 8th in my age.
Yestarday I went out and worked the kinks out of my legs and started to prepare for Alpine Valley. I heard it was really muddy so hopefully we will get some warm weather to dry that place out a little.