KC Cup

Basically I got my ass kicked on my "home" trails. Great time, kind of.

So Saturday was my good buddies' wedding, Mr. Chris and Mrs. Ellie Heath. I've known them since junior high. Nice short wedding ceremony followed by free Free State beer and killer food at Alvamar Country Club with a lot of peeps I hadn't seen since I moved out of the L a couple years ago, and even an appearance by Mr. Alex Newman, who is also now a former wrestler turned bike rider. We had a nice compontents and bike porn discussion after dinner, hahaha. Needless to say, I took advantage of the free Wheat State Golden and a few of us had a nice "memory session" and that basically started my demise for the next days race.

Sunday I got up way too early, 7 am and made the mistake of having a little chill session by myself, like I usually do on weekend mornings before riding/homework/whatever I am doing. Ended up buying 3 creme filled doughnuts and 2 powerades from sunfresh for my mornings' nutrition, another would-be terrible call.

Mr Sean Burns was kind enough to pay the entry fee for my broke ass, so I am now his endentured servant until my debts are cleared, thanks bro!!!

And of course my dumbass decides to mix it up with the 19-29 sport class instead of the ole crazy spinners in the single speed class (I think the shaggy dude won the SS class in like 48-49 min, crazy). I thought I was going to be alright, until I got the the preview for the REAL course. I had left out an entire LONG section of double track and pavement on my pre-race preview laps the past couple weeks. Needless to say, I got dropped hard right off the start cause everyone was big-ringing it through the DT and asphalt. And I made the mistake I always do of spinning wayyyy to much on the open areas to try and stay within sight distance-->heart rate went out of control and culminated in me exiting the 8-pins area and blowing chunks on the side of the trail while 15+ people passed me. To back track a little...so we got to the single track and I slowly am starting to gain on the people in my class, pass a couple of them, then a few more and get to 8-pins. Right before the enterance of 8-pins, I let an older guy in the class behind us pass me on his Yeti (he had caught me, we went off in 1-minute increments). Huge mistake on my part. #1) people were ALL OVER the goddamn place through there. Middle of the trail, side of the trail, wrecking on/off the trail, side of the trail making repairs, going way too fucking slow for a race in the good line, etc I saw Sean Burns through there and he was yelling at people to get the fuck out of the way if you weren't riding it, or riding it slow. I found out later he bent another chain ring, goddamn hammerman, hahaha. So anyway #2) The older dude on the full suspension Yeti decides to granny gear the whole f-ing section so I end up right up his ass the whole time and eventually actually made him endo because I cut him off when he went wide on a drop-off (Big-time sorry Bro! really it was a dick move on my part) #3) the older dudes were getting up my ass pretty hard so I was blazing through there like I hadn't in awhile, rode everything through there at probably 100 RPM, and then I stopped and lost my stomach contents.

By then I knew I was no way near gonna get a podium, but I figured hell, they're giving out 5 places, maybe. Spiked the heart rate again, blew some more and then Sean caught back up and passed me on the pavement climb back up the hill, I made it my goal to keep him in sight, hahaha, didn't work so well. Got through about 4/5 of my final lap, the last climb up Wudchuck run and Shadd Schreiner and Cam Chambers were yelling at everyone to move it or lose it, so I stood for a sec to blow chunks again and awtch them FLY by, I mean absolutely hauling ass through there (They were passing me on their 3rd lap, I was finishing my 2nd, :'( They finished their 3 laps in 1:01 and I was at 1:03)

Ended up DFL in my class, losing to the first place kid, who hadn't ridden a MTB race since March and is primarily a roadie, by 14 minutes, OUCH, big ego kick in the nuts. This was made even worse when I looked at the SS results and I would have been mid-pack there, weird how shit works sometimes.

I did get a free bike tube, however--26er presta valve, that I have no use for. My 29er is Presta, the full sus 26er is schreader = nice.

Yesterday was my final culmination of XC racing, that crap just isn't for me, really (I'll probably still do it tho :/. I will throw down on some 6 through 24 hour races, but anything under a couple hours really isn't worth my money anymore, I always get "smoked" haha get it?

check the blogroll to the right to read others reviews/write-ups.

and BIG UPS to the heartland staff, scott and craig, all the trail builders and event volunteers--another great event by that crew.

peace and dirt!