Over the weekend I attempted to race in the Knot mountain bike race in Wedgefield, SC. The race was being held at Poinsett State Park which is a hidden gem in the middle of South Carolina. I raced in my first MTB race back in December and did ok finishing third in the beginner division. I have been riding a lot of miles lately so I decided to go from beginner class to sport class thinking I would be competitive. Boy was that a mistake. The weather has been really cold and wet this season so I had hoped that it kept people from training prior to this race. For those that are unfamiliar with cycling there are ways to train without being outside. I raced with 20 people and the race started off good with probably only five people ahead of me. One by one everyone started to pass me so I told myself to race my own race and have fun. The good news is that I finished the race which took me 21 miles through a beautiful forest. The bad news is I came in dead last. I learned a little bit more about racing and chalked this one up to just not training enough. I had a great time trying and it was great to say I competed against some serious non-professional athletes. This time last year I couldn't ride five miles without being worn out, and that was on flat ground. I have come a long ways and I know I will be competitive in the next one.
I ride a Trek Superfly AL100. Not the lightest of bikes but is a good all around mountain bike.
Ready, Set, Gooooo!
After two hours I finished the 21 miles. Great feeling to just compete and finish this race.
