Sweetheart Enduro Report

[scar tissue]

What a great event. Most TWMC events are.


I headed out early Sunday AM and caught a bunch of Snow heading up the cajon pass. Good thing I only have vented gear :ahhh:

I arrived and checked in on minute 15. Thumbs and 2 stroke were there but already in seperate but full minutes.

I made some suspension adjustements prior to race time to soften things up and try and get the kick out of the rear susp.
Boy did it ever work. It's truely amazing what a few clicks can do.

Back to the course, I was running the helmet cam (attempt # 2) and took off with my row. the course was fun and fast, but the speeds set slow on loop 1. We did a lot of run early and stop and wait. At the first split we had a nasty rocky chewed up hill climb with several downed riders on it. I became one of them...............TWICE :bang: Trying to pick my way through the crashed bikes was not easy. Though Thumbs went right past me and up. On attempt # 3, I'm I make it up and over but 3 minutes down and bang theres a check. There goes my race. Nonetheless, I kick it into high gear and rail throught the next section. I manage to get into the next check right on time.

Oh yeah, did I mention it was snowing, hailing and raining. The water accumulation ruined the helmet cam shots. It recoerded but you can't see anything clearly.

Loop 2 and 3 was a fun , quick scamper throught the sandy desert. with an occasional hill climb and rock garden mixed in. The pace was fast and it was really fun. My bike ran and felt awesome. I finished the race with a 30 on my last loop 3 check. A perfect ending.

At the end of the race, I hooked up witha guy on a new 2006 YZ250. (2 stroke not an F) He offered to let me take it for a spin, and I ddin't make him ask twice. What a sweet ride that bike is. It was alot snappier than my 300, with very plush susp., and it turned on a dime. it felt very very light but hooked up well. A great bike.

Results aren't up yet but I didn't score well. Due to my first loop mishap

I believe, Thumbs burned 2 checks, but 2stroke seemed to score well.

This was a time keeer so every second will count.

 

[2strok4fun]

I had a good time, it was the maiden voyage for my trailer with family and friends in tow. It went well and the weather tested us, we got lucky we saw no real rain, some snow and sleet but nothing that stuck to the ground. Wind and cold was the theme for the days.

I had a good race, the course was a blast and as always TWMC crew finds the best a area has to offer. The course offered sandy S turns though the creosote bush and a couple of small rocky climbs, everything rideable. 3rd loop pace was set at about my riding ability, riding a fast but safe pace I couldnt gain or loose time. I was on my way to my first race without dropping a whole minute when on the last section riding down about 50 seconds and unable to gain on it, I had a wash out and a spill after a rocky decent that got me off my minute and that is how I ended. I think I got 1.0088 which would be my best.

It was good to meet Thumbs friends and spend time around the fire with his better half and take a trip back a few years to find we knew some of the same people.

 

[the Eel]

I knew it was gonna be a good one. Hopefully I'll see you guys for the March event, or perhaps Prospectors. Thanks for the reports.

 

[nonickname]

For those not on the TWMC board, here's my report from there
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Well, I knew it wasn't a good sign when I fell hard 100 feet from the start... trying to show off for the photo chick (surprised the pics aren't up already). Landed pretty hard on my head and left shoulder. Fortunately, I was on minute 1, so this little spaz move was only seen by, well, EVERYBODY. Wait... make that unfortunately. A smart man would have headed back to the trailer right then and there. As Forest Gump said: "Ah am not a smart man".

First loop was snowing and hailing, with pretty slow speeds the whole way. I know this is to make it not a hare&hound for the Nov-X's, but let me go on record as saying that 12MPH sections stink (11 or 13 are fine however). I didn't drop any minutes, but I was throwing away seconds like a 15-year-old desert racer. The course was a great mix of turns and rock sections.

Second loop it was still snowing, and the speeds were bumped up enough to get the heart-rate up at times. Washed out on a right-hander once and landed on the right shoulder and thumped and skinned up the right knee. Still kept the zero going though, but shovelled on a bunch more seconds.

Third loop it quit snowing, the sun came out, and the temperature got... colder??? I swear it dropped 15 deg. when the clouds cleared. Speeds ramped up a bit more, but I just rode at the top of my minute since I didn't really care about seconds at this point. Kept a zero going through the amateur finish, shortly after which we headed into the expert/masters split. Then the wheels really came off. The first off-camber uphill I washed out and fell downhill. Zigzagged back and forth on the hill and fell again. Bulldogged to the top, hopped back on the bike, and fell HARD on the downhill. At this point, Timbo passed me, so I knew I was out of contention for the win (like it was in question before). Made a couple more stupid mistakes, got lost once, and got passed by Shannon before I hit the finish. Dropped 6 on a special that Rod only dropped 1 on (and just to really drill in the humiliation, he did it on a flat tire).

Final kick to the groin: while cleaning the course, I got to watch Evil Jeff's son Andrew clean the special on an 80. Ouch... I don't even know what class he's in, but I say, move him up! (just not to the Masters...).

Final tally: Right hand sore and swollen, two sore shoulders, one bruised and raw knee, bruise on thigh(?), bruised and swollen right heel(???), torn left radiator scoop, and one world-class dose of public humiliation. Other than that, I had a blast.