Sandwiched between the 24HOGG and The Pinnacle I really had no intention of doing this race. But suprisingly fresh feeling legs on Wednesday got me thinking about it, and an even more suprising positive reaction at home when I mentioned doing the race sealed the deal.

Race started at 6:45 with temps just warm enough to not need any extra clothing. The next 63 miles were quite the adventure:

- I know to never put on a new chain just before a race, but I did it anyway and spent the whole race with a very skippy drivetrain.
- We had a paceline early on a road section that would have had Chris shaking his head.
- Got stung by a bee in the neck.
- Endoed going 5 miles an hour, going uphill!
- Got chased by a pack of wild chihuahuas.
- Sloshed through hub deep water.
- Walked up long hike-a-bike rock fields ascents.
- Hammered down bone jarring decents.
- Got nervous on 'where the heck did the trail go, oh there it is', singletrack.
- Struggled over tricep destroying unavoidable washboards.
- Eased through 'I hope there is nothing hiding in this tall grass' trails.
- And finally the finish line.

The bike not working properly took much of the enjoyment out of this adventure. But it held together and I ended up first in the expert class with a long time of 5:31. It was a well run event with quick results and awards. The post race grub was good and very much needed. Now on to the hometown race.
 
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Good job Brian. When PJ tlod me you were going to do it I thought well maybe I should check it out too I went to sign up and missed the deadline. Is it something you would do again?

I would/will do it again. You just need to go into it treating as an adventure. It is not your typical perfectly groomed, made for modern mountain bikers type of course.
 
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Brian's report pretty much says it all... lot's of raw doubletrack and lurking vegetation surprises. A couple of walk-only climbs and Len Earnshaw playing violin at the the 56 mile marker atop Crotched Mtn.
My race was solid and I had my only top ten EFTA finish placing eighth overall, 3rd in Ex Vet2. Everytime I felt an energy drop, I tapped into the many centuries' fitness and my legs came through. I was stupid though and went off course for a nice downhill ledges tour off of Tobey Hill saying to myself... "gee this is getting reeeeally knarly!" before that sagging feeling of realizing I'd given myself an extra half mile of up and down racing at a cots of about 5 minutes. My take away is "WOW, that was tough!" The course was more a long version of a circa 2000 Second Second Start Enduro than VT50. Anyone who finished deserves a handshake.
 
Snomobike!

Brian, your 5:31 was phenomenal second overall only to Mike "Superman" Brodrick, "Holy Cow Batman"!

If Brian wasn't good enough in the past, he is a lean mean racing machine this year. Well done Brian and Raineman.

Ryan