Attack of the killer tree.

Swanson MTB race. I've been sick for a while and not riding. I knew what I was getting into since on Thursday, I only had a couple laps in me before I was zonked. So on to the race report:

They lined us up in the grassy area far from the start/finish line to allow separation. Mission accomplished. If I had been stronger instead of being sick and had a 17 tooth rear cog I might have stayed with the fastest of the ss'ers. 5 guys got out front: Nate W, Mod, T-bone, Tim W, and someone else I'm not sure of. I followed Sam R into the single track. He'd get away from me in the toight stuff, but I'd be on his wheel on steady climbs. I could have tried to pass him early in the lap, but I would have just exploded earlier. I stayed with him until the beginning of lap 2.

After passing, I pushed it hard since I knew there was a couple guys that might be ramping it up toward the end and I was going to be on a steady decline pretty soon. About half way thru lap 2, the climbs got harder, the rough descent seemed really rough, and I was really dehydrated. So I slowed up a little and just tried to limit my losses. I was a good distance from the top5 guys, the last being T-bone, but I was ok with that. Sammy was still behind and CVO was also gaining on me after we exchanged a few passes earlier.

So the 3rd laps starts and I feel a little 2nd wind coming in. My core was seriously rocked since single speeding relys mostly on muscling up any climbs. This was slowing down my one good asset, but I felt I was riding smoother overall. Right before the last time down the descent off of Tetanus ridge, I saw another single speeder coming. DOH! I flew down the hill and started thinking of the upcoming climbs I was dreading. Right about then, on that little dip into the trees past the firestation fence, a tree reached out and bit me! I fell hard on my left shoulder, arm, and leg, sliding down into the pit of despair. I realized after the race I should have rolled, but I was confused as to what had happened and why my bike was no longer under me. I hopped back up just in time to get out of the way of the SS'er that was on my wheel, Sam R, and CVO. So I dropped from 6th to 8th right there. I gingerly got on my bike and fixed my race number after it made a noise like my bike was self destructing. (For the roadies out there, your race number is attached to the front of your handlebars in mtbing - therefore it was ripped in the crash.) My front brake was also acting funny so I just decided to stop using it from then on. I didn't have much to go and I was in a buttload of pain. Cruise control was set on survival mode. Of course, I was slow enough to let another single speeder pass me so, more salt in the eyes.

I cross the finish line and head for the water reserves to wash the bloody mud clots away. Little did I know, I therefore opened a buffet for gnats. Ouch. Nothing 2 hotdogs and a Mt. Dew couldn't cure. I then decide to pack it up and ride home, just a mere 7 mile ride straight home on the Keystone. The tail wind ride home was exquisite, but the ensuing shower was torture.
-Neosporine, check
-gauze pads, check
-med tape, check
-3 ibuprofins, check

Large spasketti dinner after a nap and I'm almost normal, aside from the swelling and the burning sensation around all my skin donation areas. I'm really not looking forward to the training this coming week before the Beatrice races. I foresee much pain and ibuprofin in my future.