The whole atmosphere at Bluff Creek makes you feel like you are visiting family. I especially enjoyed watching the Longhorn cattle, lone horse, and dogs running around. Many of the cows had just given birth- one calf was born only hours before I arrived on Friday. I had some time Saturday before the race to go and see "Lucky" trying to figure out life in his new world, namely how to use unstable and knobby legs. He finally gave in and curled up on the ground, his mom grazing a few feet away.
Friday afternoon I set out for my usual pre-ride. Usually, I only ride 1 lap in order to save my legs for the race day. However, I had so much fun on the first lap on this new course that I couldn't resist doing another. (And I decided it was worth the risk of a little extra fatigue to get one more look at the lines and corners.)
The course has a little of everything. The first 3.5 miles is windy single track, with a few sandy corners and some roots and gravel sections to negotiate. Halfway through, the real fun begins when riders get to play on the Bluffs. This part of the ranch is beautiful (didn't get many pics to show off how pretty it is). There are sections that have such great flow you don't even have to pedal. Other places are fun downhills followed by some uphills to keep you honest. The last part of the trail circles the pond where people can camp. I didn't go off of this bridge into the water, although it was tempting.
Saturday was race day for Cat 3 and Cat 1 riders. (Cat 2 and pros raced Sunday). Normally, the Cat 3's are the last ones to race and I don't always get to stick around and cheer them on. At Warda, they were the first ones to hit the trail. Here are some pictures from their start.
At the start, 4 out of 8 in our field had at least one win this season (Amy with 4, Lisa with 2, Jen T and I with one apiece). Also racing was Sarah G. This was only her second time this spring to race, but she is the reigning Cat 1 champion and took home second at Coldspring, which had the largest field of the series. There was also a girl in town from Durango who races for Fort Lewis College, arguably the best mt. biking college in the nation.
Adding to the competitive start, the ladies of the 40-49 and 50+ combined with us at the last second. So instead of 8 racers hauling butt off the line and vying for position, there were 14 of us. It was pretty fun. I got caught in the middle of the jeep road and each time I tried to get onto the smooth tire "rut", I was about to cut someone off. We had a long section to sort out positions before going into the single track, and I went in toward the back of the main competitors.
The start pace was extremely fast as no one wanted to get caught in the back. I wasn't too far behind Kim (who had the fasted time at the last race of all racers) and Jenn R.M., the 2 leaders of the 40-49 group. They are seasoned and smart racers, so I figured if they weren't too concerned about elbowing their way to the front, I was fine.
Our paceline held tight through the front section of the ranch and the leaders were well within sight. Once we headed back toward the bluffs it sorted out a little. Here Amy and a couple of others took off. I honestly can't remember when I passed a couple of girls, but somewhere along the line I moved up a couple of spots and was in second for our age group, (although I thought I was in fourth). I didn't even realize Lisa was behind me until someone yelled out on the second lap, "Go Lisa, go get her!"
The heat was pretty intense and I was afraid of overheating. On the first lap, I could tell my body was fighting to stay cool when I got chills on my arms. I had been pounding the water and electrolytes, but I'm sure I lost a lot of water from my nearly 2-hour pre-ride, camping in the humidity, and now going at an all out pace in the first truly hot day of racing. At the feed zone, I grabbed a water for my cage and another to douse my head and body.
At the bottom of the bluffs are some beautiful "fields of gold." It was here that Lisa took off.
Lisa was on my tail for the beginning of the second lap, but when we got to the backside of the ranch, she went around me. I stayed with her for a mile or so, but then couldn't keep up. The Durango chic passed me, too. I kept trying to find a faster gear to give chase since I knew they weren't far ahead, but I didn't have it in me. I ended up crossing the line in 4th. Even though my goal was to make the podium, I knew I had given it my all and had an absolute blast!
Amy ended up winning, Durango girl got 2nd, and Lisa 3rd.
For now, the TMBRA series is on hold until it resumes next September with the final four races.
For four of us (Amy, Lisa, Jen, and I), our focus is now on the mountains of Colorado...here we go!
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