1st. race in 16yrs. 1st. Hare Scramble ever...

[Kirklandrock]

Just returned to riding in June of '01, raced MX only while I was a kid. started riding at about 6yrs old... havent ridden bikes or raced since I was about 16...

Did my first Hare Scramble ever yesterday.. Fla. Trail Riders Rd.9
@ Kissimmee Island.. Ft. Bassinger, Fl... rode Beg 2 class... to my suprise there were 50 riders in my class....... WOW......
7.8 mile loop incorporating a sand MX section with nice tabletops and lots of single trail thru the woods...... Riders meeting said we would do 3 laps but that was changed when lap time were around the 16 min. area so we went to 4 laps much to the dismay of ALL of the Beg 2 riders...... Man It must have been 90 degrees...

Long story short, got a 2nd place start thru the MX portion, got into the woods and slid out of a berm and fell to 5th.. worked back into 2nd pretty quickly, started the 2nd lap in 2nd place and kept 2nd till the start of the 3rd lap..... Now if that had been the last lap I would have stuck it out, BUT knowing that I had 2 more to go I pulled off the track....... Why you might ask did I throw away such a good first race......

OUT OF GAS!!!!!!! not the bike ME...... Off-Road racing is way way different than MX. I did nothing to try to pace myself, I went out there and rode _alls out for the entire time I was out there.... which I guess comes from the MX mentallity from my previous experience racing MX when I was a kid...... I'm 32 now and new to this form of racing.....

The just of this post is that my hats off to all the Off-Road racers out there.... with out a doubt you guys have to be some of the best atheletes in the world........ And I have a lot to learn.. my speed was there, my conditioning was not........

God Bless........

 

[justql]

Sounds like you had a good time. Reminds me I need to get in shape before the enduro season starts here.:think :eek:

 

[DirtFamily]

I would love to do Harescrambles this year.....or next! LOL.....
Out of riding for just a year and tried out a bike this weekend...rode maybe 2 hours just putting around a track and boy am I a hurting puppy! Makes me mad I let myself get out of shape! :mad: .............Off to the gym

 

[clw]

And just think you rode the "SMOOTH" Saturday track, yesterday the track got really rough by the end of the noon race. And, in FTR, that's where you'll be going upon promotion from beginner, to the 2:00 C race, ouch! Was the ridge section fun or what?

 

[Kirklandrock]

Man, the ridge section was so so cool... I thought the whole track was the BOMB........ the Mx section was pretty cool also..... goin to Titusville this weekend........ Ya goin CLW???????

 

[clw]

Actually....NO! Probably won't do one again till the March 3rd event, too many conflicts in the schedule.

Try riding the first 20-30 minutes at a comfortable trail ride pace and then access your ability to kick it up at the end. Hydrate before and during (you are carrying water, right) the event. Just try to finish first, then worry about placing.

Good Luck @ Mims! It's usually an easier track.

 

[DanS]

Raced my first Desert Hare and Hound Sunday. Two 40 mile loops. The 2nd loop was some of the hardest riding I've ever done. It was a national event and they said the 2nd loop was tough, they were'nt kidding. After the race there was a new trail down one of the mountain sides. I paced myself through the first loop and had the energy left to get through the 2nd loop. There were a lot of guys that went all out on the bomb and tried to keep that pace up but couldn't. I went by a lot of riders on the second loop because they were exhausted. I even managed to finish ahead of a number of amature (or B class) riders that started 10 minutes before my line started. Won't know the results for a couple weeks but think did pretty good for my first race. One thing I do know, It's addicting. Already planning my calender for the rest of the year. If any one cares Destry Abbott won with Ty Davis second.

 

[HiG4s]

I used to race HS in my 30s, but now I'm about to turn 45 and I have to pace myself on an MX track :think

 

[Kirklandrock]

CLW : I did hydrate myself pretty well, I drank a gal. of water every day that week in prep. but I did not carry....... But at Mims I WILL.... And Yes I will try to pace myself...... That first race was a GREAT learning experience..I hope to do just as you suggested.... good start, smooth pace, then toward the end try to turn it up.... gonna miss the Gatorback rd.myself but I will be there on Mar. 3rd. Polk City is pretty close to where I live in Wauchula.... look for #918X...........

DanS : sounds like ya had better luck pacing yourself than I did.... congrats on finishing... and Good Luck the rest of the year.... be safe....

HiG4s : lol, but God Bless ya you are still riding and if you are still doin it at 45 you will probably never stop........ hats off to ya............

 

[clw]

word in the pits is that the polk city race has been moved to interlachen, a small town east of gainesville. That's why there's no flyer yet.