And with a few more places being awarded points the pressure was on.  I needed to race smart, strong and within my limits.  I woke up feeling like anyone would after racing two consecutive days in 85 degree heat on bumpy dry courses.  Little aches and pains that normally wear off with a cup of coffee took a little stretching.  Staying focused on race preparation took effort to overcome when my body just wanted to go back to sleep.  Julie had gone to the course early to do a trail run with Judy.  It made me happy that she was getting to have a little fun this weekend as well.  So when she returned, she had a detailed description of the entire course from a runners perspective.  I was excited to ride it.

Now I could write the race report like the last two and at the end we all feel bummed.  Or I can make a change of pace.  So, I will cut to the thick of it.  I had a great start, everything went right and I was positioned in a group that spanned 16th to 25th or so.  Exactly where I wanted to be.  With four laps to go, as riders were imploding all over the course, I followed suit and my body shut down.  I slipped back as riders flew around me and got pulled.  32nd out of over 60 racers.  But, not all was lost as the first five or six of those laps absolutely ruled.

The start.  Everything finally went right and it made such a big difference.  Instead of riding out of my mind for the first three or four minutes trying to make up ground, I already had a good spot.  I was in the right gear, I hit my pedals hard and there were not any bobbles in front of me.  I was able to slingshot my way from the fourth row into the top 20 or so riders.  Riding those first few corners shoulder to shoulder is such a rush, and for just a short while you are actually racing right there with the best.

I love racing through sand.  It is one of the few parts of a cross course that requires attention and skill, along with, but not limited to power.  And it was not far into the lap that we had to ride through the sand pit for the first of two times on the lap.  The first time was uphill and it made for a technical obstacle.  We had to come out of a tight left hander that was on a two or three foot uphill bump.  Then there was about 100 feet of straight away that ground uphill ever so slightly.  We had to stay on the pedals, keeping as much speed into the sand if there was any hope of clearing it.  I was consistently able to catch riders and close gaps through the sand in this direction.  Every time I made it through clean I'd ride away smiling.

On the backside of the course there was a section where you dropped straight into a ravine and then shot straight back out of it into a sweeping right hander.  Every lap it felt like we were going into it too hot and would surely fly straight through the tape and off the course.  Instead the beginning of the sweeping turn seemed to be groomed and there were not many problems hooking up and carving out of it with most of the speed we would carry in.  And then a little further along there was a really awesome long right turn that I could just lean the bike into and fly through.  At about the apex of the curve it started to pitch uphill ever so slightly and I could get in one good hard crank to help carry momentum up through the remainder of the curve.

Going downhill though the sand pit was unlike any other time I have ever ridden sand.  It was so fast, so clean and so much fun.  The course brought us downhill through a right hand curve and over a bike path before having a straight shot into the sand.  There was a little gap from the grass the the pavement that I'd bunnyhop and pump onto the pavement for an added burst of speed.  Then I just held on for the ride as I would fly through the sand, sometimes passing riders in the process.  That was by far the best part of the course for me.

It was a great weekend, I can not wait for pictures to start poking up as I know Naz took some really good ones.  A huge thank you to Zach and his family for hooking us up with superior host housing.  And something strange has started to happen and Julie put it best saying, "Name recognition is very new to us, and the expectations that come with it fit us sort of like a pair of 22-36 jeans."  Thank you to everyone who stopped to say hi to us, wished us luck and shouted for me on the course.  The folks in the pit for being friendly and accepting of Julie, as well as lending a hand with bike switches and cheering for me as well.  Julie's blog offers a completely different standpoint of these races and where I am at in terms of the competition.  She has a totally different vantage point into these races and is able to write about things firsthand that I only hear about afterward.

Truth be told, that one point is starting to slip from my grasp, but that doesn't mean I am going to stop trying and it definalty is not the only reason I am racing.  These races are against some of the best racers in the country and that makes them difficult, but I really don't want to be racing anyone else.  These are the most fun races I have ever done.  I go as fast as I can for as long as I can and have a blast doing it.  I am honestly pretty happy with the finishes I have taken so far this year.  I am not struggling off the back, but there is definatly room for improvement.  I'd also like to again congradulate Devon, Brian and Marko on amazing starts to their seasons.  If a betting pool started on riders going to Euro Cross Camp, I would be putting money on all three of them.  Photos by Naz