Better a saddle rail than a collarbone.

5 Mile Pass. Not one of my favorite races.

Last year, I had 3 flat tires. I finished my 2nd lap when the leaders of my category were finishing their race. I had the slowest time of anyone, including the pros (who did more laps than me).

This year started out better - with dry dirt, but went south quickly. About 15 minutes into the race, I took a wrong turn. Didn't realize it for far to long. This put me pretty far back and I started playing catch-up. Took a few turns in the wash to fast and took a big spill. Bike landed upside down, dislodging my GPS (after crushing it, I'm sure), broke my saddle rail, and we'll find out soon if anything else. My bike sure felt squirrely the rest of the race. The next 15 minutes I was an emotional wreck, and it showed in my riding. I'd get angry, ride hard for a few minutes, then get frustrated and sit up. I finished my first lap and had a nice chat with Stu as I exchanged bottles, which helped me get my focus back on. I had a good 2nd lap, and worked my way up to 4th.

Here's what I learned:

-Don't wake up at 5:30 and drive 3 hours before a race. At least not without some prerace pickmeup.
-Trim those bars. I hit Rick, one of the pro ladies, and a ton of trees with my bars. I either need to cut them down or learn to ride a bike.
-Gearing. My gear coach is two for two in helping me pick a good gear. However, it's always a very painful one. If you don't like the hurt, don't take his advice!
-Suspension. I'm beginning to see the merits of a suspended fork.
-Fitness. All you need is one good, 50 mile, 5000 vertical foot ride per week to stay fast. (And some intervals, a winter's worth of base work, and of course, some recovery).
-It took me a while, and a talk with my wife to realize this, but broken bikes are better than broken bones.
-Don't go the wrong way. Duh.