The cow ate my trail marker

Chilly start.

Hit the LE yesterday. Jessica did a great job and clipped almost 20 minutes off her 2nd place time from last yr to finish in 4th. There were some fast women in the SS category this yr. Jennifer Wilson from Titus crushed the women's SS class and actually took 3rd overall in women's field. Her and her husband have a cool camper set up and spend the entire season traveling and mtn bike racing, sounds better than work!

The course was very different with all the rain this season and the downpour the night before. There were several crashes this year on what is usually considered a somewhat non-technical course most years. It was wet so a little tricky in spots plus there are a few tech sections so you can't let the open double track get you off your guard.

My LE experience was bit different and for the 2nd yr in a row, I had issues other than physical but had those too. My legs were feeling like wood for the first two hrs and I realize my first mistake was riding bigger gear ratios for the last couple weeks on the SS. I should have known better. I was feeling great on the longer less steep climbs and played domestique to several geared riders who could not pull for some reason!? One guy even put his arm around me after a big pull (8 guys behind me in a line) with a head wind and said "incredible work man" before dropping into the singletrack in front of me...sweet, now I know how Kloden must feel. Someone had to do it so I didn't really mind. The bigger gear wasn't so good on the steep stuff that required more top end though but I was getting through it.

Either way, it didn't matter, I got so lost between the 3rd and 4th aid station that it took me an 1hr 15mins to get back to the 3rd aid station for the 2nd time. It was a joke, I must have made every mistake possible trying to get back on track, it was embarrassing. I'm unsure what happened to the other two guys around me but I should have been smarter and had my head up more. Looking back now, I realize what happened for the most part. I was keeping the guy who finished 3rd place SS in sight on the climb. I figured I would just keep him in sight and pass if I felt good enough. I thought we surely had a number of SSers in front of us so I was going to wait until the end to push. He was maybe 100 meters ahead and two geared guys were around me.

I was climbing behind a geared rider not paying enough attention when I looked up and could not see the SSer anymore so I figured the climbing must level out further up and I started standing on it to keep him in sight. The problem was, we had already missed the vaguely marked turn. I passed the geared riders and hit the top of the hill to find an unmarked intersection with 4wheelers and motorcycles everywhere. I continued straight but then stopped and looked around. I was quickly caught by the geared guys and one shot down the hill the other got on my wheel as I started down but I was struggling to see bike tracks. I told him I thought we were off course but he thought we were good. I should have just turned around there but I had no idea the turn off was so far behind us.

We started down the hill but it didn't feel right. I stopped and climbed back out. I found two other roads back at the top and figured maybe the sign got knocked down with all their motorized vehicles. I followed a road with bike tracks but quickly realized it too was wrong and I looped back on what looked like a shortcut to the intersection. I eventually tried to head up to the high point and finally saw someone exploring around on a bicycle and asked if they knew where the course was. He said he had seen the race at the bottom of the next fire road. At this point I realize if I can not get back on track where I was, I am DQ anyway but I head down hoping it would work out. I see a a group of people pedaling at the bottom and recognize pink marker flags and start to hammer back. I soon notice the riders around me are in a different class and when I start seeing 300-400 #s I wonder if I was in a time warp. Maybe I lost 20 minutes and everyone is catching up, no big deal I think, it could have been worse... oh wait, it was.

I start up the meadow and cross the water, "all these water crossing look the same" I think to myself. Then I realize something is wrong. I am suddenly in the twilight zone and get a sinking feeling as I pass a section I recognized. I realized I got on the trail between aid station 2 and 3 after almost being at 4. I was cursing myself knowing I had already been there. I got to aid station 3 over an hr after I was there the first time and had just under 58 miles on my computer at mile 40 in a 68 mile race where the last 20 miles are the toughest. When I thought about this equation, the answer eventually equalled beer. I was mentally defeated and after talking to a race volunteer, I sat down next to Grizzly, a black female Chihuahua half the size of my cat Sam. She offered comfort and friendship in my time of need. I just didn't have it at that point to do the 86+ mile version of the LE so I DNF'ed myself and caught a ride back to the picnic area with an injured rider.

Weak navigation on my part. My group were not the only one who did this and apparently some of the lead pro riders did the same thing. I think most people figured it out sooner and headed back down though. I got back and cleaned up and watched riders come in. I had some food and beer and waited for Jessica. I chatted with some familiar faces and chilled out but I was bummed thinking my idiotic navigational errors made last years tire/mechanical issue look good. Funny, the woman driving us back said, I don't understand how you guys don't end up dead out here after getting lost, it's an endless maze. She then told me that sometimes the cows eat the trail markers. I told her, sometimes the riders are just fools.

Jessica finishes up! (ill timed pic on my part)

The after picnic, beer and food heals all.

The mens SS class was strong and CH crushed it again. I forgot who was second but David Wilson (guy I was behind) ended up working up to 3rd place and Jon from Steamboat who got 2nd last yr came in 4th. I am unsure if I should go back and try this one more time or just let sleeping dogs sleep. Honestly, I don't consider the course that great but there are a few nice sections and the volunteers are incredible. Who knows?

Now we head out next week for some camping, cycling, and fishing! CO, WY, ID, its all on the menu.