Where to begin?

Friday night we finished getting everything ready for Saturday morning. Bags packed, bottles made, bike stuff organized... I never checked to make sure Justin put on my Garmin mount, so that caused some discomfort Saturday morning, but the problem was quickly solved when he gave me his mount.

Now he just needs to remember to put his back on. Unfortunately his Edge 305 keeps shutting off mid-ride. Battery is not the issue. We sent it to Garmin and it will last longer now, but still shuts off. Prior to sending it in they said to download the latest software, and that simply did not help at all.

Padre said a few weeks ago that he and his wife have the same issues with the units shutting off. I guess Justin doesn't look at his as often, but I'd notice fairly quickly (assuming I wasn't descending) and then turn it back on. During XC races this isn't as available an option, though.

Anyway. So, we got to Southridge around 8:15 or something Saturday morning and saw Sims and Rut there shortly after. We were all getting ready for XC.

We all warmed up separately (pretty much) and then began staging. I was quite surprised to find that I wasn't just racing Willie. No, 3 other women had decided to sign up for Sport 34 & under! One was an Xterra racer. I had no idea what to do, as I was thinking I could take it a little easier this time around. Not so! Beate, from 35 + and I edged our way up to the front of the line so we didn't get stuck in the bottle neck behind the expert men 45+.

Off we went, with Beate, one of the men, and me out in front. I know better than to try to keep up with her. I stayed nearby, and actually drafted the guy up the pavement road. It was pretty hot.

For the first time in a race I actually had a mechanical. After the pavement you hop onto some rolling singletrack. I know from vast experience that I need to gear down ahead of time, before a short steep section. I have no desire to crank up if I don't have to, as there is a bit of an extended singletrack climb after it. So into granny I went, but no, wait! I have no chain. It had fallen off to the inside. I cursed, hopped off, was somehow able to fix it really quickly as I noticed another girl in my class just coming around the bend. I hopped back on and pedaled like crazy to make up time. The next time I looked back I didn't see her.

Beate was pretty much out of sight for the remainder of the race. I made sure to switch into granny NOT under load and be easy about it the whole rest of the lap. After the chain dropped my entire drivetrain started making crappy noises. Justin said I messed up the front derailleur last weekend when I got upset with the weather. So I figured it was my own fault. The bike, when brand new, made a bit of a sound when in the middle ring and biggest cog. Justin said it was cross chaining and not to use the biggest cog. Middle - big is my favorite combo! Oh well, I'd deal with the noise and be one harder when I could.

However, after the dropped chain, no matter what I did the entire cassette made a horrible noise when I was pedaling. Didn't matter which gear I was in. And the front shifter had problems figuring out what gear it was in as well.

On I went. I had no excuses.

I came around to the finish for lap 2 and heard that my face was bright red. I was trying to drink when I could, but for some reason during racing, try as I might, I can't get my heart rate down below about 178. My max (that I've ever seen and believed to not be a mistake) is 194. I think that's about 90% of max? Over an hour and a half is a long time to go that hard with no rest. Even when descending my HR never goes down. Average for the entire race was 183, same as last time. Max went up, I assume mostly due to heat, to 192.

I hadn't dropped the chain the entire rest of the first lap. It was fine going up the pavement. On I went to the singletrack, shifted WAY before where the chain dropped last time, and down it went again! I cursed, hopped off the bike and got to work on it. For the life of me I could NOT get it back on. Finally it went, up the hill I ran, hopped back on the bike and got to pedaling.

I don't recall seeing anyone from my class at that point. I tried to catch my breath and take it easier.

Climbing up the last fire road, just after going through the urban jungle/paintball area I looked back and saw the Xterra racer. OMG! Where did she come from?! I attempted to climb up the hill as fast as I could, and didn't let off on the descent. I didn't see her when I crossed back underneath, but I knew she was more than likely close.

Pua again passed me on the flats, just before where she had four weeks prior. She said good luck as she BLAZED by! Damn is that woman fast.

I pedaled my ass off the entire rest of the lap, yelling at myself not to use granny and to pedal, even when it hurt. I had attempted the last rocky climb on lap one, but I was too scared of dropping the chain this time around, so just hopped off and ran up it.

The chain was having problems the entire lap, but it managed to stay on, even if it did fall in between middle/small a few times.

I felt like I was going to die, but I came across the finish line, 1:36:42 (1st place), which is about a minute and 35 seconds slower than my time last race. I probably would have been really close to the same time as #2 if not for the dropped chains, so I was pretty happy with my finishing time. Very consistent, but not faster.

I'd like to break 1:30 at some point this year, but that's 3 minutes per lap!

I felt fairly awful after turning myself inside out. I told Justin just to head up and do a practice run while I relaxed a little and got ready.

Once I was ready I waited around, but he was nowhere to be seen. So, I hopped in the shuttle line. Justin was just finishing up as we loaded into the van, so I told him I'd wait up top. I noticed Carla walking up for her first run, so we chatted for a bit. Justin wasn't on the next shuttle, so I figured we'd just head down. I started off pretty slowly, and stopped by the water tower as another shuttle load was letting off. Justin didn't want to miss the top, but I wanted to follow him down the lower section. So, he set off to show me where to go. Essentially we went straight down with no stops. I attempted to half follow him and half go with my own lines through the first rock garden. I got ping ponged around like no other... but, made it through and continued on. In the next rock garden I skipped out on taking a line I knew I could do for something that "appeared" easier. Somehow I wound up stopped dead, slamming my head, knee, and hip into rocks.

Someone came up right behind me, but it took me a minute to collect my bike and move off trail. I sat for a minute, big headache, and made sure I felt physically ok before moving. I didn't think I had a concussion because I basically remembered stuff, but I still am not sure what went wrong. I think my bar clipped a rock.

Justin was coming back up the wall to look for me as I was heading down. I was pretty shaken up. I took an Aleve and Ibuprofen. Justin said I don't even need a new helmet.

My hip was pretty sore the remainder of the day (awards ceremony for XC and then lunch). But, despite feeling pretty crappy I went up again for more DH practice. Top part was fine, it was hot. We stopped to check out the lower rock garden. I was either really sick from earlier and the heat, or just extremely anxious. I had to sit down a few times. I watched Justin go through... then I attempted it. I didn't crash, per se, but wound up knocked around about 3 times before saving myself from utter doom. I was definitely messed up after this. I was ready to quit for the weekend, while I was still ahead with 3 very minor injuries.

Justin said that was fine, but he thought I should get over the demon. So, up I pushed to do the rock garden again. I went extremely slow through it, but didn't crash. Down we went to the second rock garden. I went much slower than the first time and didn't fall. Justin pushed my bike back up so I could redo the section the way it should be done. Admittedly, it was a lot easier.

I was done for the day.

Sat around with hubby, Sims, Rut, Tumbleweed, Steph and Dan drinking a brew here and there and hanging out. Eventually we went to dinner in Corona.

Nancy and Roger, despite their injuries, joined us as well. We lost Sims, Rut, and Tumbleweed, but gained Ian, Ernie, and Craig.

Off to DenMo's we went. I showered and went to bed since I was thoroughly beat. Unfortunately I couldn't sleep. I'd taken a Tylenol PM since I didn't sleep the last time we were there either, or the time before. It did nothing. My heart pounded all night. I think I slept for about an hour or so at 4:30 am. Time to get up.

I felt kinda crappy. Ate breakfast, Justin packed up the truck, and out we went to Fontana. Got our wrist bands.. Justin and I got in line, but he cut in front of Paulina so he wouldn't have to ride with me, so we wound up on different shuttles. Paulina and I went up with Sims in the 2nd truck of the morning. I stopped halfway down to check it out, talked to Carla and Eric for a few, then down I went. Slowly I picked my way through the rocks. I made it, though, so Sims and I headed through the 2nd rock garden and down.

Justin again wasn't at the truck, so I grabbed a water and back in line Sims and I were. Up the hill, hiked up to the top... big line of people. They were going to use a new "gate" so people didn't start early. Justin was standing up there.

I heard talk that someone had been injured, which explained the ambulance sirens a bit before. Justin had been down at the rock garden and stopped because the course was closed, so he hiked back up, which is where we saw him.

Once it was my turn I rode the entire way down and felt somewhat comfortable. No more practice runs for me. My goal was to have a clean run.

I ate half of an Odwalla bar and stewed in nervousness.

We hiked up the hill, which was hot. They started the race a bit late, but not too bad. I kept worrying about getting to the top of the hill, but for seriously no reason at all. I sat up there forever, getting nervous. Finally they staged us and down I went.

I actually felt pretty comfortable. I had a smooth, clean run. No bobbles, no crashes. Not good enough for 1st, but at least I'm healthy enough to ride again (er, once I get over the injuries sustained on Saturday!).

I'm still feeling it. My hip and knee are bruised, and my right shoulder is fairly messed up. No lingering headache, but my neck hurts.