A perfect day. Number 913 retires on top.
I've been fighting a sinus infection since the Univest GP. But today woke up to a warm gray morning for my final mountain bike race. The New Milford race is only a half hour away. No three hour drive like thenother MASS series races.
So Pops, Bob and I load up the Jetta City( a collectable) and drive on down. The past weeks weather must have taken it's toll on attendance. As we pulled right in for parking. A quick trip through registration, a swag bag and t-shirt. Time to get the bikes ready. I'd pre-rode the course two weeks ago and new it would be a mudfest. Id did test running a 34/20 gear last year a 32/20 was perfect. But I felt I could pull the taller gearing this year. I took the holeshot. But this turns in to a downhill road so I ran out of gear quickly and most of the field caught or passed me. Then it started to rise and I got my gear back. Karl Wagner had pulled a good gap. I was second into the woods and closed the gap quickly. I took a different line down the rocky wet downhill and was right on him. When he overshot the turn. I hammered the hill to try to get a gap on everyone. I could hear all the shifting behind me. Over the top and I was already into the back markers of the 45-49 age group. Now it was try to get through them as fast as possible and get out of sight. I was cutting good lap times and feeling good. The effort was clearing my sinuses out(for the time). Iwas able to ride all the hills. The last time up the lake hill wore on me but it brought home the win. This race always has good prizes. Frames, forks, headlights, Hayes brakes. But by the time the Masters get there it's pretty picked over. So I got a Titec El Norte, Riser bar, seat and Adjustable seatpost.m Pretty sweet. Compared to a pair of grips for second at another race.
We had a beer,dug the band and did the awards. Thanks guys for a great season of racing. Gave Paul our raffle tickets and headed home to clean up for an Ale House night. It was fun to chide the guys who now had the 3 1/2 hour drive home.
The Ale House was out of most good beers. This seems to be Saturday night problem. But we made due and had some excellent pizza. Gifts were passed out for birthday people. Connie got some "Space Bubbles" these are bubble that don't pop when touched. Tish always has a fun item for us to test. Well Connie blew bubbles into the air . They went everywhere causing lots of laughs. But the best was two landed in this young guys hair and gave him small mickey mouse ears. His table cracked up at him and he wasn't getting it. After this we headed to Shenanigans to see Dirt Farm. Henk and Connie had never seen them. They had a new playlist and started out mellow,then rocked the house. A perfect ending to a perfect day.
I'm looking forward to cross now.