D.IN.O. #1

The team spread out over the weekend so that we could represent the sponsors all throughout the region. Anthony went to Spartanburg, South Carolina. Duane went to the Park Mammoth race just outside of Bowling Green, KY. I went to the D.IN.O. race in Warsaw, Indiana.

I chose the D.IN.O. race mainly because it looked like it had the best chance out of any of the races to be dry. Only a 50% chance of rain. I also really like the course up there, it's pretty technical but more of the twisty variety, it also has a couple fun jumps. I learned about why I shouldn't hesistate when coming up on a double, it was a really small one but casing it still sucked the first time.

So for some reason I was thinking that every D.IN.O. race was on Central time. We left Louisville just before 8 a.m. Arrived at the race area at around 11:58 or so. I get out of my car and realize that the experts are on the line and the director is telling them they have one minute or something. I immediately start freaking out because that means my class will be going off about 6 minutes after that. I run to the registration table and the lady was nice enough to just give me a number and write my name so I could pay after the race. I run back to the car, start throwing my clothes on, lube my ass, put some gu in my jersey pockets. Get my bike down off the car, put the front wheel on (with a lefty this is a little more involved), put my water bottles on the bike, put one twist tie on the number plate and then give my fiance another twist tie to put on while I run over the bushes and take a pee. This whole time racers are taking off. I get back to my bike and ride up to the line with 30 seconds to go. I was still freaking out because I didn't get to check out my bike or warm-up at all.

We take off and I get a good little jump but don't hold it too long. My bike was still in the same gear I had it in the night before when lubing the chain. My tires still have 50 lbs of pressure in them because I had changed them the night before and put extra pressure in so they would seat up. We take a sharp left hand turn, as usual, but then we went past the spot were we normally go into the woods. I wasn't sure what was going on but just followed the other 8 or 9 guys in front of me.

The speedometer was clicking on the front tire so while we're riding through a narrow shoot with spectators all around I'm leaning way over my bike trying to move the speed sensor away from my spokes. After I get that fixed and sit up the others have about 20 feet on me as we go down a paved section towards the creek area. I then realize that we are going to be doing the course backwards from what I am used to. There are a couple tech sections 100 yrds into the woods some tight turns with roots sticking out six inches off the ground, rock gardens and tight trees. Once we got to a little flat section along the creek I see that the tail end of those in front of me is still just a few seconds off. Someone behind me said something about passing and I wasn't sure who they were talking to but I would just pull back the gap, that way they wouldn't need to pass. So, a minute or two later and I'm back on a wheel as we make a hard left to cross the big two lane bridge over the creek, the bridge was divided because I would have to cross it again later on going the opposite direction. So I ride a wheel for a while and it definitely isn't hurting me too bad but they were going fast enough that I couldn't justify asking to pass. We come up on some rider going considerably slower, maybe from another class or maybe he blew up. The two guys in front of me pass him and I try to do it in a loose gravel turn. With 50 psi I somehow manage to wash out in the front and go down. Some came around and I got up as quick as I could and took back off. We were hitting a couple short climbs so it didn't take long for me to get back on a wheel.

Somewhere along the way I passed a rider or two and then we came to this spot where you could go two ways I went right and say two guys on top of this steep quick up and I knew I would have to stop if I tried to go up it so I went left through the brush real quick onto the path that went left. That made 2 more riders I got around. I think this is when I got on the wheel of a Gray Goat rider. He was doing a good pace and I wasn't being vigilant enough with holding his wheel although I stayed in close contact for most of the lap. It wasn't till less than a mile to go on the first lap that I lost contact with him. It got really twisty towards the end of the lap and I was getting really confused about when it would end. Still, I'm feeling good especially considering I didn't warm up. I tried to drink on the straight sections even though it meant losing a little speed. I didn't take a bottle when I came through for my first lap. My number plate only had two twist ties in it so the wind had blown it to standing straight up above my bars, upside down and backwards so I had to yell out my number to Brian but he was quick to tell everyone my name, sponsor and where I was from over the intercom. That's good stuff right there. Starting the second lap I eat a gu since i didn't get to eat one on the start line. Drink some more and then hit the first single track section. For some reason I was clipping my chain ring on everything though, I got frustrated but when I hit the section along the river I regain my focus and tell myself that I'm feeling good and I'm in a good position so I'm gonna keep it rolling.

For a few miles I was on my own but I was still pushing it on the straights and climbs and trying to do all I could in the turns. Low and behold though, we come to a straight climb that kicks up near the top into a field section with a lot of turns and high grass and there I see the gray goat rider with another guy. So I get on it a little extra and by the end of the field section I'm only a few feet off, they both get a little bit further as we go down a hill but as we hit the first up I charged up on them hard enough that they both let me around so I kept on it and immediately got a gap. I held that till the end of the race. I don't think I passed anyone else. I finished feeling really good though and still had some energy even though I did pretty much all I could in the race other than get there on time so I could warm-up and get a good start. I was thinking maybe I would finish on the podium but turns out I got 4th. Still my best result yet in a D.IN.O. race, other than that time I got 3 when there were only 4 or 5 of us. I was happy after the race and kind of happy I didn't have to stick around another 2 hours for awards. That's all.

I heard the KY race was super muddy and epic, anthony's race was a little muddy too. I got by with no mud and no rain, just cloudy skies and upper 50s low 60s degree weather, Perfect.

Ahhhh man, I just checked the D.IN.O. results and according to those I got 3rd. I don't know if something changed or I looked at them wrong or what. Guess I missed out on some free swag. That's kind of a bummer.