2012 Gear Grinder

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Untitled by danmanmule at Garmin Connect - Details

This past weekend was my first official mountain bike race. I really can't count the off road triathlons here because after the swim we don't start together..
So it was interesting and I had no expectations at all. I knew I wanted to ride hard but only after I ease into the rhythm.
There was a good 30+ bikers who did either the sport or the expert division. We all lined up at the start line and off we go.. I guy shot out like he was 1k time trialing but I suppose that's how you get to the lead and make sure not to be bothered by anyone.. It took me a while to find the gears and for a while I was at the back of the lead group in about 8th position. I noticed that a group of 4 is breaking away so I slowly started to move up. It wasn't easy to pass people on the singletrack so for the most part I was just cruising behind other bikers. by the middle of the race I moved up into 3rd position by passing the team leader Dennis Kemmesat. 2nd wasn't too far away but this guy held a faster pace. I was able to pass him too just before starting the last loop and put some time in him on the flat(ter) section of the course. At one point I know I was within a minute from the top guy but making my way through the field came at a cost. I started fading, and also losing ground to the leader. I managed to maintain the pace but it sure left me empty. 2nd place overall not too shabby and I even earned $35! HA!
The 29er Specialized rides a lot smoother and faster over this course than my previous bike. I believe if I had this bike during the XTERRA in Jamestown I could shaved off a good 15 minutes from my total time (no technical issues, faster, less tiring) ..

I am not sure where is my next race.. XTERRA Canada (Sept 2) is within 15 hours drive from Bismarck or maybe XTERRA Deuces Wild in Arizona (Sept 9)?
There is also XTERRA Utah (Sept 29). In the meanwhile I will likely do the 5k run during the Bismarck Marathon events.. After runing 10 miles the other day on mainly concrete I don't think my knee is ready to pound it for hours..