UEA ride report

[nonickname]

Well, I posted this on the D37 board, but I might as well start the thread here as well. I'm curious to hear what happened to Tony...

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OK, tell me if this has ever happened to you...

You're waking up, and as the fog is clearing, you notice you are riding your dirtbike. Odd, you think... then you notice ribbon going by, and realize you are in a race. It slowly comes to you that you are at the UEA event, and you piece together from dried blood on your face and the dirt bouncing around in your goggles that you must have taken a header somewhere back there. Now this is the sick part... the next thing you do is check to see if you are on time. :uh:

Well, that was my first loop today. It wasn't till I was getting back to camp that I remembered the crash. It was probably about 25 miles in (about .5 past check D) when I rolled over a blind drop into a sandwash and smacked a 2 foot rock on the left side of the trail. As I was standing there woozy for a bit, one of the guys from my minute rode to tell the check that I may need help eventually. Then my wrist stopped throbbing so much, and my head cleared (or so I thought), so I figured I'd be better off just riding towards camp. Then it gets fuzzy. Funny thing was, I got my best score of the day at the next check (31 secs into my minute). So I guess my subconcious is a better timekeeper than I am...

At camp, my head seemed fine (no dizziness, headache, or nausea... and my pupils were fine). So I decided to head back out even though my wrists and knee were starting to hurt. Did pretty good for most of the loop, but slowed a bit on the last special when my wrists and knee really started to throb. The crossgrain crap coming back smarted a bit as well.

So my score was:
1st Loop: 0 mins, 42 secs (check A shouldn't have been a tiebreaker)
2nd Loop: 4 mins, 256 secs (1 on G, 3 on K)
3rd Loop: thank god I didn't have to ride

 

[scar tissue]

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Kelsorat, Eel, Thumbs and I all signed up together and were on minute 38. We arrive Sunday AM and breezed through check in and sound check. The event was well orgaized and easy to get through sign ups. (as long as you already had your district card.that line was quite long) Props to the UEA crew.

To the race: We start out OK, crusin along. IMO our club courses are ALOT more fun. We went about 5 miles in a straight line on desert trail then about 5 miles on a straight fire road, then they through in a fun fast test section which all but Eel dropped a minute or more. Then more straight desert trail. The speeds wee quite high for the terrain and being early and having time to rest was really not an option after leaving the fire road. We passed alot of riders on earlier minutes who were losing time. The Disneyland section was awesome and fun, unfortunatly the course had few of these "fun" areas. and alot of go straight over rough terrain. The race wasn't much of an Enduro regarding time keeping, it was more of and endurance desert style race.

Loop 2, 24 MPH the hole way. I rode my butt off just to stay on time over the course. No breaks. Again we passed several riders on earlier minutes. When the results come up, I have the believe the scores are going to be quite high. The 1st special of loop 2 had 1 nasty uphill combined with another nasty uphill which lead into yet another nasty uphill. You get the picture. We're supposed to average 24MPH. No chance. I had one get off and restart going up one of the really rocky sections. Picking it up and getttign goin zapped all my remainng energy. I think I dropped 4 minutes. Thumbs caught up and passed by while I was struggling to regroup Luckily that was the hardest section of the whole loop I decided that it wasn't worth getting hurt, so I would ride my best but not worry about the time. I pulled many no footers and a few flying W's along with some near endos. I had to switch to reserve fuel at the end of both loops on my MXC. Apparently my bike had gone as far as it wanted to also.

Last weeks club race was soooo great that maybe my expectations were too high: The course was good but not great. (C+) The course was well marked and the event run very well. (A) The riding, as always, was fun, but not epic.(B) For an enduro there really wasn't much timekeeping involved, but the speeds were'nt completely unmanagable. (C) Overall, I'd give the event it a B-.

Loop 3 looked killer. I took some photos of Eel and Thumbs at the start "trials" section on Julies camera. I'll try to get them and post them here. Thumbs posted on the D37 site that loop 3 sent him to the hospital , but I have no details. I hope he's alright.





----- s i g n a t u r e-----------------------------------------------------


Team Knucklehead # 28
TWMC
KTM 300 MXC
WR250F

Usergroup: Lifetime STM
DRN Club Member:

 

[the Eel]

Good reports guys. Andy - glad you're OK. How's Ned ? His back looked not so good. From what I read on the district board, sounds like you maybe had a concussion. Never a bad idea to just have doc give you the once over. I think Tony's OK - we were worried maybe he had a collarbone or arm break. But I think's he's just banged up. It was fun riding with you guys. Prospector's anyone ?

Kind of a weird race. I thought the terrain used on the 1st loop was pretty lame, and yet the speeds were maybe a little fast for a Fun 4 race. I doubt that many Cs, and certainly not Ds, did much timekeeping. I guess the scores will tell the story best. And there was just way too much fire road on loop 1. That said, at least they made up for it a bit on loop 2, which was mostly fun, and on loop 3, which was just crazy.

I had a 6 going into loop 3. Missed one of the checks on loop 1 by 10 seconds. Amazing how much time can be lost by simply stalling your bike in a 24 MPH section. I really enjoyed loop 2 and was tired but felt pretty good for loop 3.

I heard Scar Tissue griping about how much more he enjoys the club runs and I have to agree - at least with a race like this. $40 is pretty steep for what they layed out for 2 loopers.

Loop 3 was pretty wild. Alot of rocky sorta trials kinda terrain strung together with short blasts of more standard terrain. It was totally cool to have all the spectators at the start of 3, and then again shortly thereafter, and then once more at the end. I really enjoyed that. I was going along pretty well until I picked a REALLY bad line going up a rock hill. Was stuck there for a good 15 or 20 minutes just alternating between trying to get my bike out of this spot and just catching my breath. Big leg cramps kicked in here and the word "quit" was starting to materialize in my mind. I probably would have except someone blasted by me taking a different line which was actually easy. Funny, I hadn't seen that line. Wish I had. Anyway, seeing that line just a few feet away from me sorta inspired me to finally yank my bike out from between these 2 rocks, back it down the hill a bit, and then take the easier line. Sure enough up and over on the 1st try. Perfect example of sometimes you gotta slow down to go fast. I lost 20 minutes here and pretty much whatever energy I had left. And all the while the easy line was right there - would have saved me alot of time and effort.

Anyway, I finished but was basically shattered by the end. Gumby, as Larry Ensign once called me. (He was right !)

Farmer John - thanks for the words of encouragement near the end there - it made a difference. Glad we got to ride together at least for a little while - maybe we can do it again later this year up your way. Hope you enjoyed the race.

:cool:

 

[nonickname]

Good reports guys. Andy - glad you're OK. How's Ned ? His back looked not so good. From what I read on the district board, sounds like you maybe had a concussion. Never a bad idea to just have doc give you the once over.

Talked to Ned, and he said the back is about the same. He didn't go to the doc yet, but may tomorrow if it's still the same.

I started getting a headache last night, so the wife unit made me go to the emergency room (I agree with you though, never a bad idea). They didn't seem too concerned with my head, though. They were thinking of letting some fluid out of my knee but didn't. They also took some xrays of my left wrist/hand which was swelling up pretty good. Nothing broken, but the attachment shows what it looks like today.
Anyways, glad to hear everyone lived thru the 3rd loop. I had planned on riding it for fun, but obviously that didn't happen.

 

[thumbs]

Tim Moore directed us to St. Mary's Hospital......nothing broken. Might have damage to the rotator cuff and tendons. I'll see my regular doctor on Wednesday or Thursday.

Thanks to all for helping load me up and the ride to the waaaambulance.

 

[Sorudne]

Nothing broken, but the attachment shows what it looks like today.

Dang Andy, looks like Rosie got a new sister ;-)

 

[2strok4fun]

Sounds like you guys had a bang up time, glad all survived without too much damage.

Tony, bummer on the shoulder, I have had a dislocated shoulder from a skiing accident about 12 years ago, its all invitations to club arthritus.

 

[nonickname]

Dang Andy, looks like Rosie got a new sister ;-)

OK, you're losin me here Tim... Is this a reference to Rosie Palm and her five friends? Or are you saying my hand looks like it belongs to Rosie O'Donnell? :think:

 

[Sorudne]

OK, you're losin me here Tim... Is this a reference to Rosie Palm and her five friends? Or are you saying my hand looks like it belongs to Rosie O'Donnell? :think:

On second thought, I think you might have gotten Rosie pregnant ;-)

 

[nonickname]

On second thought, I think you might have gotten Rosie pregnant ;-)

Well, Rosie's a righty... so I'm gonna want a DNA test. Not to mention I got tutored 4 weeks ago, so I should be firing blanks by now.
I knew that mailman couldn't be trusted. :think: :|

 

[Boodac]

Sounds like a high rate of carnage from this event. Wrist, knees, backs, rotator cuffs geez I thought this was suppose to be fun? Hope you all heal up ok.

 

[thumbs]

Here I am just a twist of the throttle before the crash.

http://www.district37ama.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5350&start=15

 

[Farmer John]

I had a really good time :cool:
Unfortunatly I am so out of shape that I ended up setting thru most of the second loop. I was dropping points like water thru a strainer. The third loop was really cool (despite my loop out & the getting stuck in the same hole as Eric) & made me feel much better about my 830 mile round trip. ;)

It was also good to see Tony, Eric, Julie, & Kelsorat.

 

[nonickname]

Here I am just a twist of the throttle before the crash.

http://www.district37ama.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5350&start=15

So Tony, which rock did you stop dead at? Was it the one out in the flat straight where you are aiming? Or was it the one off to the left where Danny biffed?

As for Boodac's comment on the carnage, it did seem amazingly high. Especially for a "family" enduro, and damn high for our club in particular. Maybe they gave the Training Wheels guys special timecards with transponders on them or something. :think:

 

[thumbs]

Was it the one out in the flat straight where you are aiming?

Yes sir, that's the one.

 

[CPT Jack]

That's a B*tch Tony. That's probably the most serious Knucklehead injury yet. You do lead from the front - setting the example. So, how long you out? Am I gonna need to duct tape your wrist to get you out in March? No prob. I keep an extra roll in the toolbox. Which was it, left or right?

 

[Kx Steve H]

good picture thumbs and great form too!! hahha

 

[the Eel]

Preliminary results are up !
http://mysite.verizon.net/sorudne/uearesults.htm

 

[kelsorat]

Brutal pics

 

[2strok4fun]

Good job guys!

Eel takes 5th for 3 loops and NoNick takes 1st for 2 loops.