In the end, I managed a 10th place finish in my class of 20, and 79th out of 162 overall. But just the fact that I finished that race feels good when so many didn't. And at 43 y/o and only my 2nd race, my first for this year, and in a field largely of guys half my age, I'll take a mid-pack finish in the carnage that was that race.

 

So after the race I was so tired and so spent after so much exertion, I was thinking never again, this is crazy. But now I'm already thinking about the next one. Strange how that works, that such suffering and exertion could draw you back in so quickly afterwards. How soon we forget the pain. What is it that makes us want to put ourselves through this? Certainly not the money or glory, because there is none at this level. Yet there are all those hundreds of people lined up willingly on the start, knowing it was going to be brutal. They've done this before so they know how hard it's going to be. Yet they come out anyway and enjoy it! Why not do something easier, like play golf instead? It's expensive, it's dangerous, and it's HARD! Yet me and 262 of my close friends were out there in the hot summer steamy heat for a mud bath of physical punishment. Why? I don't have an answer, but I must conclude that our minds do not work the same way as the rest of the population.


The End.

 

Excellent write up! Well done. Congradulations man. Sounds like a hoot but I could see myself wiping out the first few feet. Sure hope you try it again sometime. Sux about that camera turning off tho. Use that as an excuse/motivation to do it at least once more.

 

Thanks! Yeah, I'm thinking about doing the next race this Sunday so I can shake the bad helmet cam mojo. It will bug me incessantly if I don't move past it, and the only way to do that is to do it again.

 

Sounds like yer gettin hooked! Have fun and be careful dude.

 

Me, before:






My start row, Heavy C:




Pro's lining up:













After:














That's what a dirt bike should like like.

 

Was wondering if you were going to do a write up. Too bad about the video. I'm sure you can find something on the net from someone else just so we get an idea how snotty it really was. Your arm pump may be gone but after all that typing your gonna get carpal tunnel.

 

I found one but he cuts it at the really bad sections. I think he must have not done so well in those sections because his lap times were 40 minutes and 60 minutes respectively for the two laps he finished. My worst lap was like 25 minutes, so he must have spent some time not making it up or through the worst of it. That's exactly why I was working so hard to stay up, going down in that stuff sucks the life right out of ya. I'll keep an eye out for others, though.

 

ATTTA BOY!!!!!

 

HA HA oh yeah, Congratulations on whipping that course. I kinda know the feeling from a DS ride I did last year. I was a first timer, and thought I was in wayyy over my head. I ended up pleasantly surprised to find myself well in the middle on the scale of talent at the event. No where near the difficulty of a hare scramble, but a good start for me.
Thanks for taking the time to do the write up. Sorry about the vid. See if you can rig a safety cover for the on/off record button.