On May 31 Maureen competed in the 3rd event of the 2009 Pro XCT Series near Birmingham. Here is her race report:I first went to this race in 2004 as a neophyte mountain biker (still living in Kentucky). It was so much fun that I returned in 2005, 2006, and 2007. The venue is awesome; there is a beautiful lake right next to the course for the perfect post-race cool-down and there is even a BMX track down the road.
The course is usually a really fun 17-mile loop with lots of singletrack, a single long climb, and a technical rocky descent ("Blood Rock") followed by flowing fast twisty singletrack to the finish. Because the race was to be included in the new Pro XCT this year, they did some serious modifications to the course. The usual race course (2 laps of the 17-mile loop) was replaced by a short 6-mile circuit that was about 1/3 paved road. At first I was bummed to learn I wouldn't be riding Blood Rock or the awesome Seven Bridges trail, but I definitely understand the organizers' point of view. USA Cycling is trying to prepare US Mountain Bikers for the international race scene, which, like it or not, features short circuits that demand power and speed. Those racer-types longing for the traditional US cross country racing scene of massive loops requiring rugged individualism should find solace in the NUE Series--if they can find the time to train for 100-mile events!
We did four laps and the men did five. Even though the course was 1/3 paved and only had 500 feet of climbing per lap, it was still freaking hard. Most of the singletrack was very pedal-y and twisty, requiring the utmost concentration despite my inability to see clearly from the hard effort. There were 2 climbs, one singletrack and one paved. There was a rocky staircase that we rode UP; it had two steps and was fairly technical. I was proud to ride it every time!
We sang Happy Birthday to Heather Irmiger and then did a parade lap around the expo area. The start was a drag race on a 1-mile section of road with a slight incline before dropping into a twisty fast singletrack section. On the first lap I was riding pretty well, just pushing as hard as I could and feeling fast on the descents. On the paved climb I put in a massive effort and rode my way into 11th place. I hoped to recover on the road back to the start/finish line by drafting off some other girls, but I didn’t recover fast enough and got dropped in the woods at the start of Lap 2. On my second lap I battled with Chloe and finally dropped her on the paved climb. At the end of my second lap I started feeling really bad, getting goosebumps despite the 90+ temps. By my third lap I felt super-bad in the muggy heat. Chloe passed me back and I started hating my life. I had a little talk with myself and tried to get back in the game. On Lap 4 I started feeling better and focused on having fun on the trail.
I crossed the line in 15th place. I definitely lost several positions and I should’ve fought a little harder. It’s a good lesson though: I better give my all despite how much it hurts, or face lingering regrets.
The crowd at the race was AMAZING! There were friendly people cheering me on EVERYWHERE along the course. It was awesome. I enjoyed being back on the terrain where I learned to mountain bike. If you get a chance to ride here, do it!
I crossed the line in 15th place. I definitely lost several positions and I should’ve fought a little harder. It’s a good lesson though: I better give my all despite how much it hurts, or face lingering regrets.
The crowd at the race was AMAZING! There were friendly people cheering me on EVERYWHERE along the course. It was awesome. I enjoyed being back on the terrain where I learned to mountain bike. If you get a chance to ride here, do it!
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