Logansport - DINO #6

Sunday granted me a chance to display what I think is a strength—flat, hammer sections. Indeed I flew through the double track and fire roads spinning in the big ring reminding myself of Tuesday Tempo Torture. While most of the course is flat and wide open, I seemed to lose a lot of time in the 2 single track sections and 2 hike-a-bike sections. Yes, this XC race has a little Cyclocross thrown in the mix. (See Wikipedia definitions in the links.)

Five years ago, I was elated to find a sport that didn’t involve running. I played a little basketball, soccer, and racquetball, but cycling presented a whole new world. Now I could get a workout without pounding my legs on pavement while seeing the countryside. Next came mountain biking. Being in the woods most of the time, I could now pedal without wearing sunscreen. My life must have peaked already because Logansport has two sections where we must RUN while carrying our bikes. Did I miss something? This is an XC race. OK, ok, I knew to expect it. It’s the trade-off of having the flat sections.

So, I finished 4th out of 6 Expert women. (One of the 6 crashed and DNF'ed.) Among us was this year’s XC national champion. I didn’t feel too bad coming in 20 minutes behind her. She’s FAST! The usual suspects were there in our usual places. Promises of higher results next year linger on my lips. For now, ride on.

Topping off the afternoon was the Marathon gas station in one of the little towns outside of Logansport. We stopped to use the restroom. As I was waiting on Meredith to exit the facility, I heard the roar of Randi’s favorite blower – the Exlerator! I’ll have to get the name of the town, so Randi can add it to her list.

Also, Meredith continues to dominate the Sport class racers with another first place victory. We rode together throughout the whole course peeling off only when she finished and I started my 3rd lap. Congrats Meredith!