First Race 2010 heres how I choose to remember it

Starting lineup

A very Muddy Bike

It started out with some wonderful breakfast (thanks Cumming Tap) then a 10am start. It was a balmy 15 degrees outside with bright sunshine, unfortunately it would get up over 30 later. Started off in the main group for about the first 45 minutes or so, and since my cycling computer (pieces of junk) wasn't working I was using the que-card for pace and distance up to the 34 mile check point. The first hour I had fallen OTB with Scott Sumpter and a few other guys. Not bad I thought since there was a large group of people behind up that I couldn't even see anymore we have around 16 miles in the first hour. The second hour I was at around 29 miles so averaging 14.5 mph the goal was 12.5 to finish in 5 hours. We made the checkpoint (35 miles or so) at 2:40 so the pace had dropped down a little I stopped for about 15 minutes at the checkpoint then headed out alone. I was alone for the rest of the race. I started to see people ahead of me and slowly overtake them one at a time. I passed a rider on the cemetery hill (worst climb of the ride) at 4 mph. I passed about 10 people in the last 28 miles from the checkpoint. I was feeling strong and getting in some sprints on the flats to catch people who were recovering. I started bonking around 45-50 miles and was struggling to hold pace so not to give up any progress I made in the past hour and a half. The last 12 miles were horrible stomach cramping my lungs were filling with junk my throat hurt and I was starving. I kept pushing the pace. I could see 3 riders ahead of me at the 30ave turn (3 miles to go) they had missed the turn and had to come back to it I thought I'll catch them. My mind said go go go and the rest of my body, like a 3 year old didn't do what I told it too. I got in at 5:25 I would like to think if I had eaten enough, and it would have stayed in the 20's all day I could have hit 5 hours but I guess I won't know until the next time I go out and ride that crazy course. Someone said it was 7800 ft of climbing not sure if thats true, but it was a climbers course for sure I don't believe there was a single mile of flat ground in that course.

So thanks to everyone who makes these races possible it was great and a lot of fun (the way I choose to remember it) After a couple days of recovering from this cold again I should be ready to ride.