The weather for the inaugural Fat Tire 50 Marathon was better than PERFECT! Temp in the mid 70's sunny with a few scattered clouds, blah, blah, blah... This was the second event for fellow Nimrod Ivan P. his first was a mid week overthehumpseries XC race in Irvine, CA. He placed 6th in his beginner class - Great first showing Ive! Back to the 50, the race started smooth. Ivan and I rolled out together and as luck would have it, the group we started with (Masters 40+) were labeled with a large "I" on there right calf! The mark of "I" emblazoned on our legs for all to see (as they rode past us up the hills.) We rolled until I took my first of three OTB's on a little techy switchback downhill section. No real blood just humility. The race continued with some fun climbs and then a horrible 4 mile creek wash through 4 inch deep sand culminating in a mile + climb up a rocky sandy steep (but not for Tinker Juarez) ridge with beautiful views. The first lap was a mully, Ive and I were just checking out the course, lap two - cramps and sore arse. Then the real pain began...near the top of the Bridges Climb I noticed my front tube stem was missing - sheered off to be exact and leaking air with each big bump. I stopped twice to add air and then reached the top of the Damn Climb as I flowed like water down the long very fast decent, I chose a right line when the left was smoother - automatic flat at 25 miles per hour, no control, no stopping...release...curl...pray...ready for impact...OUCH! Granite and dead bushes greeted me upon my return to earth- blood skin, flat tire. Ivan caught up to me and hung out while I fixed the flat. I was passed by a 60 + year old lady and a young woman who recently gave birth. Humbling..
Off we go again....bounding bounding down down down...rest stop. Ahhh! Heed, Hammer Gel, Water, and Endurolytes...away we go - again. No sooner did we leave and enter the Damn Decent on a rocky fire road. Ivan was going too slow, we were passed by a guy in a white cotton tee and some tan cammy shorts on a hard tail - I followed , drifted toward a berm and gully, then looked over a thirty foot cliff to the creek below, "oh shit" - I thought scared over compensated and found the dirt road on my back, bike flipped over my head and the seat hit me square in the face before skating down the road without me...more blood, skin, humble pie. Ivan said it was the worst OTB he had ever witnessed, I said it was not so bad (just a little internal bleeding and bruising). Just a side note - subsequent to the race I found bruises where bruises should never be! The remainer of the race I picked a mellow pace and rolled to the finish broken, battered, bruised, and alive. What a race...Great Job Ive. Ivan came in just behind me and placed 5th overall in beginners, I placed 15th overall in 40+.
