Month of Mud - Grove City

Time 47:46 - 14 th Masters

Deja vu, well sort of...

Month of Mud race, but instead of the normal cross country race this is a cyclocross race. I've learned to really like these races, and I'm considering getting a cross bike. Anyway...

Off we go. The course is like last year, we start on pavement, up a hill to the obstacles, down into some "singletrack" on the ball fields and finally back to the pavement to finish. Four laps, if you don't get lapped.

Well, like last year I had someone purposefully cut me off when it wasn't necessary. Now, I don't mind being cut off if need be. Back to the race. There was one point where there are trees on the left, and a metal pole on the right and only room for one bike. This guy in blue starts making a move on me right at this spot. I yell that there's not room, but he doesn't care. I easily could've but him off, but he would've been wrapped around the metal pole. So instead I get cut off and have to slam on the brakes to keep from hitting a tree.

My only goal now, to finish ahead of him.

I catch him on the road section and blow by him, round the hairpin turn and finish lap one. Second lap he passes me on the field section again, and once again I pass him on the road section. Third lap he passes me on the field again. We get to the road, but this time he gets grabs on to a pack of about five riders. I can't catch him. That's when I had this weird experience.

I start slowing down to save some energy, when this guy on a green bike flies by me. But then he looks over his shoulder and slows a bit. Does he want me to get on his wheel? Not sure, but I try anyway. He speeds up a bit and looks back again, I'm still hanging on. He speeds up more, I'm there, speeds up more, I can't go any faster and he matches my pace.

Quickly, we catch the group in front of us and the guy on the green bike peels off into the bigger group and I sling shot past them. We get to the hairpin turn and my mountain bike tires grip great and I take my lead up the slight hill to the finish line. Well it's not really the finish line yet as we have one more lap to go, but the guy in blue doesn't seem to know this. I guess he doesn't want me to pass him as badly as I want to finish ahead of him. He give it his all to beat me to the finish line, but I hit the pedals hard and stay ahead of him. He thinks we're done, and when he sees us all continue on he realizes his mistake. "Oh @#$@$#"

He physcically and mentally was done. I finish the fourth lap and never see him again.

Finished with the same time as last year, I felt faster, but maybe the course was a bit longer? It seemed so. Was a really fun, and different race. Hmmm, may check into this cross stuff.