[caption id="attachment_306" align="alignright" width="300" caption="After racing three laps on the trail, I ran the grill - cooking up burgers and dogs for the hungry racers. What a great day!"]
[/caption]Anyway, the start at Custer is always very fast. This year, I told myself not to push it and relax for the first mile or so, which I did. While on the first lap, I saw a couple guys up ahead of me getting back on their bikes and figured there was a crash. A little bit latter, I saw one of the same guys getting back on his bike, and figured he crashed again. Well, now he was right in front of me, which was making me nervous. The guy was fast on the straight parts, but when he got into curvy sections or technical sections, he was right on the edge. I couldn't get around him, but figured sooner or later he would screw up. Well, he did....coming down that hill and across the bridge...once he cleared the bridge, he just dumped it. Luckily, I was able to dart around him and keep going.
As I completed lap 1, I came up on Eric Wallace on his single speed. He was spinning away on the flat start section and I went on bye. At the top of those rocky/rooty hills before grannies garden, my right calf cramped up like a rock. I had to get off my bike and stretch, and Eric and a few others rode past. This wasn't good...leg cramps 1/2 way into the race? I just had to take it easy the rest of the time and not try and push hard up the hills. I finished with a pretty slow time, but I was done and it was time to cook!
100 hot dogs and 160 burgers in 2 hours!!! (All on a charcoal grill) Thanks to Chuck Brenner and Jim Gallagher for being the 'bun' guys. Like years past, this event is a total blast. The people love the free beer and food, and this year's 'Beer Garden' made our team set-up that much cooler.
Congrats to the ladies that placed, as well as the young pup, Caleb. I think us older guys like the beer too much to make a podium!
Mike Groat
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