that's going to leave a mark

the first mountain bike race of the season is in the books and it wasn't pretty. actually it's the third race in the Central Coast series, but I missed races one and two due to illness (flu and strep throat), so today marked my CCCX debut.

I upgraded to sport this season, after racing beginner for two seasons. those sport girls are fast and they have mad dirt skills (something this roadie can only aspire to). that extra lap was pretty brutal for early-season, but I survived to finish 3rd in my age group and got a pretty medal to add to my collection.

I did some things really well: rode all the sand without touching my brakes (I can be a chicken), my nutrition and hydration were good, my pacing was good, and I smiled when I saw photographers (silly goal, but I'm trying to look happy).

I definitely had a few rookie mistakes: I've only had two rides on my new shifting system and I mis-shifted at the beginning and spun out at about 140rpms as the fast girls left me in their dust -- oops!

and there are lots of lessons learned and things I can improve, but I won't bore the world with them now.

I love mountain bike racing - the atmosphere is so inviting, especially for newbies. as a roadie, I remember saying I would never ride a mountain bike. when I stared riding a mountain bike, I swore it was only to improve my skills for cyclocross. and now, it's one of my favorite things to do. if you haven't tried it, I hope you'll consider getting a little dirty sometime. and if you'd like to race, let me know and I'll help you get started.

btw, our Monday night mountain bike rides begin on March 10th @ Arastradero in Palo Alto. details on the velogirls.com calendar.