Race report: Heed (in) the bushes

Iron Hill
Enduro Women (4hrs)
Result: 6th

Okay, first report in a while since it was the first race in a while.  In what turned out to be a brutally hot day, coach Rodger and I had decided I should the 4 hour Enduro race at Iron Hill instead of the 15-mile Sport class.  This year they ran it in the opposite direction, which was, to me, MUCH more fun.  The climbs were less brutal, the downhills more technical, the woopy-doos fun too. There were definitely more rocks than I remembered - bouncing me around and making me wonder if my shock was locked out (it wasn't).  The "Megadip" (also backwards from last year) wasn't actually open for much of my race since they had it closed for all of Beginner and the first lap of sport.  On lap 5, I bypassed it - I don't do well with an audience.  Lap 6 I rode it but wound up running the top 10 feet. 

It was fun to line up with 16 Enduro Women (!) including some familiar faces - Heidi von T. and Kim D. among them.  After the start, one rider was off the front early and a couple others went by soon after, but the rest of us hung together in a little row.  Until Heidi crashed on a log, then it was Kim and I for a bit.  I was trying to meter my effort so I had something left for late in the race and was really having fun.  On lap 4, I slowed down a bit, preparing to "go fast" for the last 2 or 3 laps - I knew I'd be close to being able to go out for a 7th lap if I could hit my pace from the first 3 laps.  That was also when the legions of just-started sport riders came flying past.  Kim got taken out by one on a pass, we pulled off for the next group.  Surprised to see Shea in my pit after that lap - turns out he DNF'd from his race after double flatting. 

Going out on lap 5, I started to not feel so hot.  At all.  It was a slow lap.  I decided to go for a fast lap 6 anyway, an effort that lasted less than a mile before I was "that rider" - you know, the one watering the bushes with some partially digested Heed.  Needless to say, I took it easy for the rest of the lap after that and came in 6th on the day - proud to have finished in spite of the challenge of figuring out my nutrition for long hot races.  Don't worry, it only takes once - I'll have the changes in place for the Stoopid 50.