duncan XC - for athletes, not adrenalin junkies....

This Sunday was the Duncan XC race, and since I was not working I thought I should race! Chris and Louise came as well - for their first mountain bike race. This was definitely one to remember, if not for the scenery...

The website said this was the "definition of XCO" - and now I even know what that means. Take your favourite trails and link together a 3 - 4 hour ride. Now remove all trails that have flat bits longer than 100m. Take out all flowy bermed trails. Leave in the ones that go up, down, change constantly, have logs and sharp corners. You want flow - do it yourself, the trail won't do it for you. If you did it right - you have a 35 minute loop left! THAT is the Duncan XC race loop!

Chris and Louise asked the race trail creator whether to race beginner or intermediate - and he replied that the beginner loop was missing some "really awesome singletrack" - so they elected to race intermediate and do 2 laps. I raced expert as usual, so 3 laps for me.

I don't know how many people showed up - but my feeling is all the slow people stayed away! The experts  started as a group, and then a few minutes before the intermediate men who are usually trying to ride over me. This made the start much more civilized! The first steep hill stretched us out nicely and into the trail, very soon to become uphill switchbacks. Having never ridden this trail, I didn't know how long the switchbacks would continue so pushed moderately hard (read "trying desperately to hold my position just behind another expert woman") More switchbacks, then more, then steeper, then steeper and shorter and never-ending - I came as close as I ever have to being violently ill while on a bike! Finally I saw the woman pull away ahead of me, and there was nothing I could do about it other than keep pedalling.

The first lap is really all about self doubt. All three of us were thinking "I can't possibly do this again (and again) I'm going to have to quit! Leading to "I hate DNF, maybe just a little further" and then - at some point in the second lap it starts to feel okay.

The "super awesome singletrack"at the top really didn't flow  - tight corners and dry crumbly ground and I just couldn't hold my speed. Brake, turn, stall, pedal - several corners and back to braking. Then the trail did become flowier and towards the bottom became quite fast - then lap 2. And then - lap 3.

Lap 3 actually felt pretty good - and I don't think I was that much slower although I forgot to check the time after the first lap. 2 laps was 1:15, 3 was around 1:50, so not much different I although I know I was slower on the uphills. More flowing? Who knows.

Unrelenting comes to mind. And I guess that's what XCO is all about?  Chris and Louise finished their first mountain bike race in good style, and all in all it was a 'lovely time'. I wonder if the 100km Hard Candy race will hurt more or less? Endurance vs. extreme pain - which will win?