Well, I believe I have achieved my goal of breaking into the top half. Of 16 starters, I finished 7th. One rider dnf'd, and three got lapped. The course at Chickasaw was great, the competition fierce (the continuing rivalry between me and the guy who finished 8th, well, continued), the ground muddy and the weather unseasonably warm. Who could ask for anything more?
I had my worst start ever (don't expect a witty punchline, I just had a crappy start) when I rode into the back wheel of the guy in front of me and almost went down. We had a long starting straight, so I shook it off and passed a few guys before we swung onto the dirt (and mud!). It was really greasy today - Columbia has had a lot of rain lately. I think I was the only rider in the 4's who didn't hit the deck. There was a great series of little hairpin turns, then another greasy slick area that dropped into the mtb trails. A big log and a few more slick turns later, we came to a muddy runup which was rideable for the first couple of laps, then swung back onto the trails. More muddy, twisty singletrack before a set of barriers, then a nice long paved climb to make you wonder why you got up this morning. From there it was smooth, if not slow, sailing back into the grass and into a weird little "barrier". It was a bunch of landscaping ties, spaced unevenly, that you really couldn't ride. I saw a couple guys endo on them during warmups, and knew it was better to run them. More grass, a couple more hairpins, then threading through some trees back to the start/finish.
Tires: I ran the tubies at about 33/30. I feel like I really have this pressure thing down. Speaking of pressure, I feel like I kept even pressure today. I didn't go too hard at the start and blow up, like I sometimes do. I think I rode my own race today, and I felt really good. I ate well, dressed well, warmed up correctly, and gave it all I had. I'm still having difficulty with the stutter-step, but I'm definitely getting better with it, and can consistently nail the remount at a quick jog.
With any luck, tomorrow should be muddy again. We are expecting rain overnight, which should again work in my favor.
On to Chickasaw #2!
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