The Mt. Snow Mud Fest, I mean bike race

Muddy, sweaty, and beat, ohhh so much better than not riding for a week!

After a week enough was enough, I could not just sit around any more with tired legs. There was a big race in Vermont at Mt. Snow, the location of Mountain Bike Nationals in just a few weeks. I wanted to race not only because I wanted to ride again, but because it will be good practice for the big national race. So I headed up to Vermont starting at 8:30, I picked up my friend in Mass. and we arrived at Mt. Snow at 10:30, and the race started at 12:00. We registered and got dressed and began to warm up. At first my legs felt a little sluggish, then we put in some hard efforts to get the blood pumping, and I had a some strength, not what I ushually have, but a lot more than this past week. So I felt alright, lets skip ahead to the start of the race.

In the Pro/Semi-Pro field there were 20 riders, the biggest field yet, and at Mt. Snow you always end up with fast riders. The starting line was packed with riders, and I was ready to see what the legs would do. The gun went off and I started in the middle of the pack, but by the middle of the first hill I had fought my way into 4 or 5th place. At the top of the hill my legs felt a little wobbly so I laid off the gas the coasted down the first open hill. A little winding and dashing later it was time for the big climb, which takes about 20-25 minutes of pure climbing, and I knew my legs would show there true intentions here. We started climbing and everything felt pretty good, I was climbing at the front of the pack, then it came, the big steep muddy hill that you had no choice to hop off the bike and carry it. Well, hiking the bike is not my strength, so naturally 3 or 4 guys walked right by me, but I know that soon we would be pedaling again soon. So I sucked it up and was just waiting to jump back on the bike. This moment finally came and many people had put some time into me on the walk, so I just put my head down and went up and up. By the top I had passed a few more guys back, and it was finally time to go down. Well going down may sound easier, but at Mt. Snow it is not. The downhill was muddy, rocky, and rooty, so basically my arms wanted to fall off about half way down or so. I was moving along just fine and then it happened, I hit a rock and went over the handlebars and landed right on my head on a rock. I hoped up and got off the trail before I really realized what was going on. I sat down, felt a little dizzy and my neck was throbbing. I checked my helmet and it did not appear to be broken, so I put it back on a walked down the rest of the hill. I then slowly pedaled for the next while, trying to determine if I could keep racing. I started to feel better and I decided that I would keep going.

Laps 2 and 3 went in a similiar manner, climing and descending, but this time no crashing. I was not really sure what my position was, but I just keep at it. I ended up passing 3 or so people climbing on the last lap, and then it was time for the final descent. In laps 2 and 3 I slowed down going downhill, making sure I did not go down again. But I knew the guys were close behind so I had to be a little more risky, and it turned out fine, I made it down and came accross the line.

I ended up in 7th place, a very good finish with a 20 person field, which contained many pros. The race lasted 2:42:12, a very long race, and it was tons and tons of climbing and difficult descents. It was also very muddy, so I was covered from head to toe, as was my bike. New England mountain bike racing at its best, I better get used to it as I have another 5 summers of it!

As you can see, the bike gears were covered with mud.


I may be tired, but I still have to pose with the bike.


The legs did the job, I hope that they can be 100% come nationals, then it will be time to really lay it down.