A Week Has Passed and Still Feeling a small BUZZ!
It has been a week and one day since I raced in the Shenandoah Mountain 100 off road mountainbike race, although it seems like forever since the actual race took place there is still a little bit of buzz from the accomplishment. The RESULTS tell a tale in themselves, although they do not give the glory of the experience. I managed to finish in the top third of all the racers and first in the Clydesdale Class, yet....somehow I feel as if I should have raced faster.
The race....the whole experience was awesome. The full report is below if you opt to scroll down. In reflection I am beyond glad that I did not back down from the challenge. Everything operated as it should have on that day. The weather could not have been better....the trails were fast and dry. The heat was not an issue while the rain was able to hold off for most of the riders including me. My bike held up well and so did my body.
Events like this tend to have one of two grand effects on the racers. The participants come across the line and either say to themselves...."I am never doing this again' or "that ROCKED! I can not wait to do this again next year..." Followed by a list of things to do to make the body faster. As for me, I was the later, I am definitely going to put this event on my calendar. Hopefully next year goes as well as this race season and that next year's SM100 hold the same set of positive variables along with a few longer road miles and a few more climbs leaving me stronger for the full duration.
It has been a week and one day since I raced in the Shenandoah Mountain 100 off road mountainbike race, although it seems like forever since the actual race took place there is still a little bit of buzz from the accomplishment. The RESULTS tell a tale in themselves, although they do not give the glory of the experience. I managed to finish in the top third of all the racers and first in the Clydesdale Class, yet....somehow I feel as if I should have raced faster.
The race....the whole experience was awesome. The full report is below if you opt to scroll down. In reflection I am beyond glad that I did not back down from the challenge. Everything operated as it should have on that day. The weather could not have been better....the trails were fast and dry. The heat was not an issue while the rain was able to hold off for most of the riders including me. My bike held up well and so did my body.
Events like this tend to have one of two grand effects on the racers. The participants come across the line and either say to themselves...."I am never doing this again' or "that ROCKED! I can not wait to do this again next year..." Followed by a list of things to do to make the body faster. As for me, I was the later, I am definitely going to put this event on my calendar. Hopefully next year goes as well as this race season and that next year's SM100 hold the same set of positive variables along with a few longer road miles and a few more climbs leaving me stronger for the full duration.