From... Mike

I was kind of jealous this last weekend, after all I would be missing Madera for the second year in a row due to the family schedule. Knowing my Saturday was booked well in advance a buddy of mine suggested we do the Cool MTB race up near Auburn on Sunday. This would be my first MTB race in about 10 years or so and his first ever. I signed up for the expert 40 and over class. Knowing that Rob Anderson from Specialized wouldn't be there I thought I might have a chance against all those retired locals who spend every weekend in Auburn riding their off road selves into the ground on this same course. Lucky me they would change the course completely the night prior so no one would have an advantage. We arrived an there was a light mist but no rain (yet). I warmed up and tried to milk the locals for as much course intel as possible, nobody had ridden the course in this direction but a few commented that there would be lots of climbing, some of it steep. I smiled. They grouped and started all the pros and experts regardless of age together so there was I'm guessing about 40 of us total to include all the expert girls. We were off and after a short sprint through a gravel parking lot and down a paved road onto the trail. Typical MTB race sprint to get position before the trail narrows. Luckily it would not go completely single track for a good 5 or 6 miles. I was instantly at AT trying to stay with the lead group. I realized I would not last the 3 lap, 33 mile race at that pace. Telling my self these were all younger guys I settled into a more tolerable 155 bpm pace. On the first downhill section about a mile into the race some guy on a fully suspended bike went by me like I was standing still. Lucky for me I saw him on the up hill after a stream crossing looking like he was pulling a plow up hill. I would eventually catch two more guys who I thought were certainly in my age group and we battled through the first lap. Near the end of the first lap while climbing up a particularly muddy climb after a small stream crossing I started getting the dreaded "chain suck" on my small chain ring from all the mud on the drive train. After muttering a couple of words only sailors usually say I resigned my self to using the big chain ring only (44 teeth). Determined not to let this mechanical disadvantage get the best of me I eventually rode away from my partners on the second of three laps. The remainder of that lap was spent just trying to maintain a pace and turning over the big gear out of the saddle on the climbs. On thethird and final lap it was starting to rain pretty good and the course was getting slicker. A single speed rider passed me on this lap. That group started behind the expert group and this was a psychological blow as I thought for sure I must be slowing down and the big gear on the hills was getting to me. I tried to keep with him but to no avail. This guy was flying and would certainly win his class. Licking my wounds I continued on and in many places just tried to stay up right through the standing water and mud. The wet course was taking it's toll. I watched one guy stop dead in a huge mud puddle and just fall over sideways. He disappeared in the brown goo. I was starting to catch some of the pros from the lead group who had fallen or were just succumbing to the weather. One was a Cal Giant kid. He gave me a look like "Where did you come from" as I was able to stand on this gear for one last climb on the steep section. Knowing the coursepretty well by now I just pushed through the last 4 miles and last climb determined not to let anyone catch me. Glad the Cytomax aid stations had plenty of that stuff, I would have bonked for sure with only one scoop of Gu2O in my camel back. The race was much longer than I had planned. After I finished I had no idea how I did and neither did anyone else. My friend Scott Wienker had finished his intermediate race and had to laugh when I rolled up to the car completely covered in mud. My back was so out I could barely get my shoes off and cleaning the mud off my legs below the knees was out of the question. I just couldn't bend down that far. Come to find out I had won the 40+ Expert class by about 17 seconds. Great race, good people, pretty cool raffle at the end that seemed to go on forever (they give away two bikes at the end). The free beer to all and a pint glass to everyone on the podium was a nice touch. What's not to like? I'd do this again, it was like half a dozen Mix Canyon repeats with a raffle and beer at the end. Check out the attached picture of my bike after the race. Mike Pugh