2010 ICUP #1

The Red Rock Rampage was this weekend. The first race of the season is always exciting. Not only is there the enjoyment of racing again after a long winter, but also seeing all the race friends again.
My race MO is to start off hard, usually towards the front and try to hold on.  Last year at this race, I slowed and got caught towards the end. This year my primary goal was to race the whole time. I did not want to get lulled into a rhythm.
Starting off there was eight of us on the line. That does not sound like very many, but for the Women's Pro category it is a large field. Before the first single track section, I was in seventh place. I spent the whole first lap freaking out and trying to gain places. As I came through the start finish, I realized that I had not taken a drink yet. So I did not pick up a new bottle.
My second lap, I made a concentrated effort to drink. I had made up some positions, but Sarah Kaufmann was always close by. I finished my bottle and dumped it as I finished my lap. I then bobbled my pick up and ended up with no bottle. I did not have time, because Sarah was right there, to pick it up. I continued on.
My third lap was all nervousness. I knew I had to push, but having only one bottle their was a great potential for cramping. I lucked out. I did not cramp and was able to hold my position.
As we were waiting for awards to start. I was talking to Lynda. She was admiring the wear on the tread of my front tire. It was a perfectly worn (probably from a year or more of riding) Maxxis Crossmark.She pushes on it and asks, "what is this?" I look down as she is pointing out all these bulges. Hmm...I had not noticed those.I showed to Chris as he was talking to Bart. Bart concluded that my tires were herniating due to excess PSI. 

 

See the bulge on the tread just to the left of the center tread

Luckily we just got a new Maxxis order from Keith and so we had lots of spare tires and tubes with us. We threw on an Ardent with a tube and headed to Zen for a recovery ride. It was delightful. We timed it perfectly. Just as we were finishing the wind picked up.
We also rode Church Rocks with every body else down in St. George. We saw just about everyone out there. It is the best, and safest--mud free, trail to ride after a rain. We made it a bit less than half way out on Prospector before we turned around due to mud. Chris, Noah, and I went up this climb and were waiting for Brad, Bill, Dwight, and Lynda to join us. We look down and they had already turned around. We headed back and then did another turn on Church Rocks, where we saw more people we know.
It was a good weekend.