Train Robbers Enduro
Bismarck, Arkansas
June 9, 2002
I started the weekend with my usual pre-race excitement. Even a seven hour drive from Jasper, Alabama to Bismarck, Arkansas couldn’t dull my mood. Even the weather was beautiful. Little did I know my good mood and great weekend were to be short lived.
We arrived in camp Saturday evening and unloaded my bike (once again I would be riding alone). We talked a while with some friends and then left about 8:30 to get dinner and find a hotel. I even managed to get about 5 hours sleep Saturday night. For me, any sleep the night before a race is very rare and I was thankful for the rest after a stress filled week at work.
We made it to camp Sunday morning just in time for the riders meeting. The club told us about the different color arrows for each loop and warned us about a few bridges. For the first time, there would be an up hill bridge. This didn’t thrill me because I tend to crash frequently on bridges. With the meeting over, I proceeded to sign up. The people I usually ride with weren’t at this race, so I had to find a row with someone who could keep time for me. I ended up on row 59 with there being a total of 63 I think.
At the start, I met the other guys on my row. As it turned out, I had ridden on the same row with one of them at this same race last year. He agreed to help me at the resets (when to leave) since I didn’t have a computer. We rolled to the line and they counted down for us to leave. I left the line last and never saw them again. The first four miles or so were awful. I don’t know how many times I crashed but it wasn’t a pretty sight. It seemed like I couldn’t do anything right. The trail was very, very rocky and I struggled to just get through it. At one point, my bike started making a funny noise. I pulled off the trail to try to find out what it was but couldn’t spot anything wrong. I went a little further and the noise stopped. All I could think was “if it’s going to break, it better do it now and not wait until the end and then die on me”.
There was only one reset on the first loop and naturally, I was so late I just kept going. At times, the trail would be really great and I would begin to feel a little better. It wouldn’t last though and it would be back in the rocks again. I came to the up hill bridge and held my breath as I went up. I didn’t crash but the back tire started sliding to the side as I went up (I really hate bridges). It wasn’t much further and then it was back to camp for the gas. I was supposed to have about 20 minutes at the gas but as it turned out, I had already used up that time and was late to the check in for the second loop.
The second loop was more of the same but with a few more resets scattered through out. This loop was the A-B section from the race the year before and at times was still fairly tight. I was still having trouble in the rocks and seemed to be fighting the bike all the time. Again, I was late at all the resets and other than gas, I hadn’t stopped once since the start of the race. By mid way through, I was really feeling tired and disgusted. I went around a turn and before I knew what happened, I was lying flat on my face. I guess the front tire slid out or something. Anyway, I got the bike back up but couldn’t get it started. At this point, I took my helmet off and took a few minutes to catch my breath. After some water and numerous kicks, the bike finally started and I was off again. With about nine miles to the finish, I got stuck on a rocky hill. Every time I tried to go up, my wheel would glance off a rock and throw me to the side. Again, I had trouble getting the bike started after it would stall. When I finally made it up the hill, I had to take another rest. I gulped water and kept asking myself why was I doing this to myself. I drank so much water that I started feeling sick. I waited for the nausea to clear and then I cranked the bike and told myself I was going to finish. It was only about 8 more miles. Surely I could make it.
Luckily, that was the worst of the second loop. I checked out of the last section with a 41 I think but was glad to be through. All that was left was three miles of logging trails back to the camp. I actually made it into fourth and fifth gear, something that hadn’t happened all day. Back at the camp, I turned in my score-card and found out I was the only one in the women’s class that finished both loops. I may have won but it definitely wasn’t because I rode well. It was one of the worst days I’ve had in a while. The only reason I finished was because I was just determined to do it. I can’t remember how many times I picked up the bike but it was a lot. Oh well, they can’t all be good days.
Bismarck, Arkansas
June 9, 2002
I started the weekend with my usual pre-race excitement. Even a seven hour drive from Jasper, Alabama to Bismarck, Arkansas couldn’t dull my mood. Even the weather was beautiful. Little did I know my good mood and great weekend were to be short lived.
We arrived in camp Saturday evening and unloaded my bike (once again I would be riding alone). We talked a while with some friends and then left about 8:30 to get dinner and find a hotel. I even managed to get about 5 hours sleep Saturday night. For me, any sleep the night before a race is very rare and I was thankful for the rest after a stress filled week at work.
We made it to camp Sunday morning just in time for the riders meeting. The club told us about the different color arrows for each loop and warned us about a few bridges. For the first time, there would be an up hill bridge. This didn’t thrill me because I tend to crash frequently on bridges. With the meeting over, I proceeded to sign up. The people I usually ride with weren’t at this race, so I had to find a row with someone who could keep time for me. I ended up on row 59 with there being a total of 63 I think.
At the start, I met the other guys on my row. As it turned out, I had ridden on the same row with one of them at this same race last year. He agreed to help me at the resets (when to leave) since I didn’t have a computer. We rolled to the line and they counted down for us to leave. I left the line last and never saw them again. The first four miles or so were awful. I don’t know how many times I crashed but it wasn’t a pretty sight. It seemed like I couldn’t do anything right. The trail was very, very rocky and I struggled to just get through it. At one point, my bike started making a funny noise. I pulled off the trail to try to find out what it was but couldn’t spot anything wrong. I went a little further and the noise stopped. All I could think was “if it’s going to break, it better do it now and not wait until the end and then die on me”.
There was only one reset on the first loop and naturally, I was so late I just kept going. At times, the trail would be really great and I would begin to feel a little better. It wouldn’t last though and it would be back in the rocks again. I came to the up hill bridge and held my breath as I went up. I didn’t crash but the back tire started sliding to the side as I went up (I really hate bridges). It wasn’t much further and then it was back to camp for the gas. I was supposed to have about 20 minutes at the gas but as it turned out, I had already used up that time and was late to the check in for the second loop.
The second loop was more of the same but with a few more resets scattered through out. This loop was the A-B section from the race the year before and at times was still fairly tight. I was still having trouble in the rocks and seemed to be fighting the bike all the time. Again, I was late at all the resets and other than gas, I hadn’t stopped once since the start of the race. By mid way through, I was really feeling tired and disgusted. I went around a turn and before I knew what happened, I was lying flat on my face. I guess the front tire slid out or something. Anyway, I got the bike back up but couldn’t get it started. At this point, I took my helmet off and took a few minutes to catch my breath. After some water and numerous kicks, the bike finally started and I was off again. With about nine miles to the finish, I got stuck on a rocky hill. Every time I tried to go up, my wheel would glance off a rock and throw me to the side. Again, I had trouble getting the bike started after it would stall. When I finally made it up the hill, I had to take another rest. I gulped water and kept asking myself why was I doing this to myself. I drank so much water that I started feeling sick. I waited for the nausea to clear and then I cranked the bike and told myself I was going to finish. It was only about 8 more miles. Surely I could make it.
Luckily, that was the worst of the second loop. I checked out of the last section with a 41 I think but was glad to be through. All that was left was three miles of logging trails back to the camp. I actually made it into fourth and fifth gear, something that hadn’t happened all day. Back at the camp, I turned in my score-card and found out I was the only one in the women’s class that finished both loops. I may have won but it definitely wasn’t because I rode well. It was one of the worst days I’ve had in a while. The only reason I finished was because I was just determined to do it. I can’t remember how many times I picked up the bike but it was a lot. Oh well, they can’t all be good days.
