Life After the Pig Farm
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Race Report
The race was called "Granja Del Cerdo" and upon arriving guess what was my first question? I asked what it meant and it means Pig Farm. My second questions was were are the bathrooms. The answer, down the road but the are locked. So after offering my ass to the masses of mosquitos in the pig farm woods I sauntered up to the registration table. The race as only 25 bucks but the course was fantastic.
OK! we are racing in Montana right? You can never be surprised by anything. Well I was not prepared for the real shocker that came in the form of a new race rule. According to the race official we had to come to a complete stop at the end of lap 1 and completely eat a hot dog with bun. Yes, completely eat a hot dog. How could things get any worse then to learn you have to choke down a nitrate pickle while your heart rate was 170 something.
The start would be a 1/8 mile run up a gravel road hill to the bikes. As you know I am recovering from a ankle injury and this news was a shock. I tried not to show my concern because I was being heckled by the others about last weekends race. I was hearing, "are the conditions good enough for you Bill?"
GO! And I hobbled up to my bike in pretty much last place. I learned later that everyone thought I was imitating a mule galloping. So yea! Had to catch the lead pack and just when I did they surged and I struggled to get into position before the single track. The course was half single track and it was some of the best terrain that I have encountered in a Montana mountain bike race. The drawback to all this fun was that it was a hassle to pass.
I followed Joe Chalmers until John Curry shot up the small steeper and buried him. Joe pulled over and I attempted to get up to John but he was off like a deer. Right behind me was Alex Lussier. Once we got back to some double track I let him take the lead. I did not pre ride the course from here on so I thought I would learn it from Alex. Plus, he was really motoring and it appeared we would go up to join John. Clint Muhlfeld had put all his marbles on the line and beat out a tremendous lead on lap one.
As we approached the start finish area it appeared to me we actually had to obey and eat a hot dog. Alex and I chocked one down together and when they said we were clear we took off. At the end of the race we learned that Clint had tossed his to the side and John waived his off. I mentioned that I would never want to win a race due to a hot dog rule so that was all irrelevant. So why did I eat one? Crowd pressure? They loved it, what the hell?
I got 1/2 mile away and a piece of bread that had lodged in my throat started to choke me. I started seeing stars and finally I choked it up. John was gone and Alex was suffering from his hot dog even more than I was so he fell back a bit. I figured, well this is how it will end. So I rode the rest of the race just off the front of a charging Alex. I knew I couldn't push the pace because I was on antibiotics for a sore throat and I was really dehydrated. I went hard but not hard as I wanted (or risk big time cramps).
I finished to find out Clint had blown up completely and John took the win. What a great run by John and I wished I could of found the power to grab his wheel. I did not feel like I was racing, just surviving and suffering. I can say that the course was great and I did have extreme amounts of fun. The winnings ... a pound of bacon.
Tally Lake
My friend Paul and I camped out on Whitefish Lake and headed into town for a Reuben and Fries. We washed it down with beer and settled in to dream land as numerous trains rumbled by. I awoke feeling pretty trashed but after a bike ride into town where I found a blueberry scone and some brew I was feeling the need for some dirt.
We headed out to Tully Lake and found some sick singletrack. A great climb that rose around 2000 feet above the lake just to meet up with more great trails on top. This is a definite re-do. When it was time to go home we had a ice cream and shuttled back to Missoula. A really nice weekend but I can say it was way too short. Next weekend we are hoping for a three day(er).