I've never done it before, so I can't compare to prior years, but it was freakin' awesome! Despite the rain in the previous 48 hours, the trails were dry nearly everywhere, with only a few spots that were wet. The surface was grippy and felt really fast. I ran a Fast Trak/F & Renegade/R and it was a perfect combination. Just a couple of times in tight corners the rear wanted to kick out on me but I kept it under control. I also got some wheel spin in a few steep/soft places on the first lap but then chose different lines once I knew where to look out for them.
I was one of the last guys in my class (Solo Male 40+) to make the cutoff onto a 5th lap and my finish time was nearly 7 hours. 1st lap I learned the trail, 2nd lap was the fastest and most fun, 3rd lap was the hardest, mostly mentally. 4th lap I knew I would make the cutoff for a 5th early on, so I could relax a bit. 5th lap I really wanted to back off and just enjoy the ride, but I kept racing, mostly just to get it over with. Fatigue was setting in and it was getting harder to stay focused and choose the best lines.
Only one mishap.. I had a pivot bolt come loose on my Epic with 2.5 miles to go in the last lap. I started walking/running, extremely disappointed, but someone came along with a multitool (shame on me for not carrying one) and I was able to get it reseated and raced to the finish line. Looking at the finishing times, that mistake cost me at least one place, and maybe two: finished 18th in Solo Male 40+.
As my sister put it: "not too bad for an old, converted roadie from the flat Midwest."
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