My first race!

[kyle]

Well guys, I just got home from my first race! It was a cross country even where we did one lap of a 50km course. The course was mostly tight single track and some fire roads. This course was brutal! Well to me it was. The start was a dead engine start with your hands on your helmet. It took three kicks to get my bike started, but I got about a mid pack start. It was so incrediably dusty that I couldnt see a thing! To sum it all up, I ended up 12th out of 18 riders in junior over 200cc class. I would like to have finnished better, but it was my first race, so everything was new to me. After about five minutes, arm pump kicked in and didnt let up until the end. I have never got arm pump before, but I think it was because I was nervous and trying too hard to keep a fast pace. I had fun though, and thats all I care about.
Thanks for listening

[ride_red_15]

awesome, glad you had fun. 50km = about 30 or so miles, right? how long did it take you? what else was involved in the course? welcome to the racing world

[Dave.Smtih]

Congrats Kyle. Thumbs up for finishing and already figuring out you need to relax a bit.

[kyle]

Well, the course had everything. Tight dusty singletrack, to WFO roads. There was also about 4 huge mud holes, in which one of them I got stuck in about 2 feet of mud. That just totally drained me. A lot of logs too. One of which put a nice tennis ball size dent in my pipe.

50km=31 miles and I did it in just under an hour and a half. So, for the next race, I am going to try to ride smooth and consistant. I crashed more times today in the race than I usualy do in five days of non racing.

[jmd]

You did great! Congratulations. I also like the idea of one big loop, rather than five or six laps on a shorter course. I like seeing new country.

[kyle]

Thanks, jmd.
I did try my hardest but I wish my nerves didnt get the best of me.

I would also rather ride/race on one big loop. Thats what I try to do at the areas I go riding; plan out one big loop of trail so you dont have to go on the same trail twice.

[SickSpikez]

Dont sweat it though man. I had my first race and first GNCC race a couple weeks ago and I had the same problem. You get out there and get nervous, then you start tensing up and not riding smooth, then pump up and get real fatigued, and then you just loose focus. ITs alright though, I mean its your first race. Nobody wins their first race. Im just gonna go out there on June 1st in the Scarecrow GNCC and just loosen up, have a hell of a lot of fun, and ride my own race instead of thinking about everybody around me.

[fast23]

It gets better fatty_k.,trust me.My first race sort of went the same way.I was too tensed up and that really wears ya out.The best part about it is you finished the race.,and ya had fun. Next race try to relax and be smooth.Rip it up dude!

[SpeedyManiac]

You did great. I was really nervous at the race too. I only crashed hard once, over a log, but I stalled a lot in the race. It took me almost 2 hours to complete the course. Good job, see ya there next year.

[Perk]

Congrats Fatty. racing is a lot of fun. Hopefully, if my shoulder heals and I can get off this Sunday, I will make my return to racing. I smashed my shoulder into a tree on a turn yesterday and re-aggravated an old rotator cup injury. Minor, but still a pain.

[kyle]

Hope you get better soon Greg!

PS. remember chat at 9 pm Eastern (6pm Pacific) time in the KDX riders community every day!

[Perk]

It feels a lot better today than it did last night. I could not bring my arm off of my side last night. Now I have full motion with a little bit of pain. Should be fine if I can stay off of the trees.

[Russ VCHSS]

Fatty,

Good deal about your first race. You will find that with the more races you do you will continue to keep learning and picking up little tricks that will help you go faster and keep less fatigued.

Greg,

Hope your arm gets better for the race this weekend. Keep in touch and we'll try to hook up there.

[Perk]

I would like to get some seat time in this Thursday and see how the arm is doing. It actually feels a bit worse today than yesterday. It's one of those deals where I can re-injure it by simply raising my hand in the air. It needs surgery, but I'm holding off as long as possible. I've had the same problem for about the last ten years or so. This was the first time I have hurt it while riding.

[Russ VCHSS]

Greg,

Sounds good. Just throw a brace on there and let it fly. Racing is more important than your body so you know the right thing to do. Nah, take it easy if it hurts, ice it down for 20minutes 3 times a day, and take advil in the morning and night. I can see it being sore today, as your always the worst two days after something happens.