Iola Bump and Jump 2008

Part of the parking at the Iola WORS MTB race.

The course was a tad slower than last year with some wet areas that, depending on how heavy you are, felt like 'putting your car into low gear', as one racer described it. The climbs were a struggle for me with the soft earth. Compared to the dust fest of last year it is hard to deny some rider's claims that 'the course was perfect.'

The race tempo revealed that my bike needs slight adjustments to the rear derailleur. My worn back tire failed to lift me over a large root on a climb. Actually could drop to the small ring but the shifting still isn't perfect. All in all the bike did well.

I'm still coughing stuff up out of my lungs and I was a touch dehydrated. I also weighed in 6 lbs above my weight of last year at this same race. Never got near my training goals over the Winter either. But all that was incidental.

The real problem was not fueling my body properly. Frustration over my weight gain kept me from eating much as the race approached. Friday morning I went out for a ride without breakfast. I had a big spaghetti dinner Saturday, the night before, but as one of my competitors mentioned, after the race, you need to start getting the proper carbs/nutrition into your system four(?) days before the race. As soon as the race started I knew I was running on empty. A big bowl of peanut butter Captain Crunch before I left home at 6:00 am, an energy bar and sport drink were about all I had to keep me going. I had more energy 'finishing' the Rhinelander marathon race (20 miles) last year than I had at any point in this race (10 miles). I was passed by a couple of fellow Clydesdales in the second lap which is something that usually never happens after the first lap.

Well. I defeated some riders I was chasing last year. One said this was the first time he had been on his bike this year and another had surgery over the winter. Several in my race classification commented on my strong start (I thought my legs would give out any minute). Ultimately I was over 5 1/2 minutes faster than last year. At 39 minute laps it may appear I am far from laps under 30 minutes but..... I'm not.

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