This is a great and friendly event! Lots of hard core talent, lots of happy faces that like to take a beating on the trails.
I didn't do much of a warm up for this race, it was starting to get hot out, so I did a few stretches, and little jogs to loosen up.
The 2 boys did the kids race and had a blast.
Then it was my turn, lining up with the young guns again thinking I can keep up with them. The race starts and just as I figured everyone was off like a blast, I wanted to as well because the first km was a good chance to get away from the pack. We hit the trails and the I slowly started to make back a few positions, the enduro and sport take off at the same time, and I didn't know which I was racing against. The course was tough, it was technical in spots and where it wasn't it seemed like it was an endless uphill climb. I managed to get through the first loop about 26min or so, not bad, then I heard someone yell out I was 8th I think, that was a surprise I thought I was further back. Me and another guy enter back into the bush and that guy stayed on my shoulder for the entire loop except for the final 500m or so. So I kept pushing and pushing to try to break him and I couldn't, when he did finally pass me I tried to keep up but I was mostly spent by then. However in the final 200m I caught a breath and stepped on it to try to sneak past him at the finish, and it would have worked too if the spectators wouldn't have let him know I was coming hard. He got on his horse just in time and beat me by .3 seconds.
51:38 finish time, so my split was either even or slightly negative which is a huge shocker, I thought I was dragging my tail for the second lap.
I finished 8th overall, 2nd in my age group but the awards rolled down and I won the first place medal.
Great show by 5Peaks as usual, good to see friendly faces, Doonst and SO, Sandra, DGrant.
The Robbie-T Race Team
First Wave
Another Wave
First loop done
First loop done
I guess it helps to have babies with you for this category.
