Fountain Hills NMBS (MBAA Race #5) April 6

Back down to Fountain Hills we headed Saturday morning, for the last Phoenix area race of the MBAA series. It also happened to be #2 in the NMBS series. Other than Sea Otter and Chequamegon, this was going to be the biggest race I've competed in. I started racing WORS and the good ole Gussy races in 2000, but had never made it to a Norba nat'l. Zach did the one that was the big mudfest at Alpine back in '02 or '03.

We were trying to make it down on Saturday in time to watch Tim's race that started at 8, but we couldn't get going early enough. We saw him and Elizabeth on the way back to their car right after the race. Tim flatted, but he changed it and finished.

We hung out with Christina and her teammates for a while and then watched one of the Expert Men's short track races. We were planning on staying to watch the Pro short track races that were scheduled for later that evening, but the sun and wind drained us. We drove over to Christina's and Zach helped her tune and clean her bike.

We walked to dinner and were in bed by about 9pm. I'm glad, I was wiped.

We were on the road by 5:30 Sunday morning. Quick stop for some pancakes and we arrived at McDowell before 7. We had plenty of time to do last minute bike checks and find someone who was willing to do water hand offs for us.

Christina and I went and warmed up together; we probably started too soon. We were mulling around for about 20 minutes too long after the warm up and before our race. Man, those last few minutes seem to drag on forever.

As we got in line behind all of the other waves, we noticed the promoters were calling riders up. Ahh, of course, they are calling up those riders that were participating in the stage race. I felt kinda wimpy for not doing the super D but it was Friday night and I had to work that day. Anyway, I wasn't planning on not having a front spot at the start. Luckily, Michelle Peariso, had been called up and squeezed to her left to let me fit in. Thank you Michelle! Christina, unfortunately, was in the second line, so stayed right behind me. If Michelle held her line, Christina would be able to follow me out. And I think that's what happened.

We heard the go and I had a great start. Took the lead and held it for the first mile maybe. I didn't look back, but I knew I had a couple of riders right on my tail. Finally I heard the 'on your left' and was passed by a Twin Six rider. She held a good pace, so I just stayed on her wheel. There was a decent wind, so I thought it might help. The beginning of the course was rolling hills with nice sweeping turns. Nothing technical or rocky, but there were a few sections with some pretty bad breaking bumps. It was on the second or third section we hit that I lost my only water bottle. Crap. We are only maybe 2 miles into the course and I hadn't taken one sip of that bottle!!! Ahhh!! I kept reminding myself that I drank alot that morning and thought about how Christina had mentioned to me once that it's good to end a race slightly dehydrated vs fully hydrated. Okay, with the way I sweat, I can do that.

After maybe another mile or two, the Twin Six girl's pace started to slow, so the first chance I had to make a safe pass I took it. I didn't hear whether the other riders followed though. From that point on, I was trying to make sure I had clean passes and rode smart. The course was freaking fast. Not alot of climbing and only a few really rocky sections. There were a few dry, sandy creek crossings that you could easily sink into if you didn't ride it right.

I spotted the paved road that winds along side the park at one point and made the mistake of thinking I was close to the end of the 10 mile course. Wrong! It really wasn't super far, but it felt like it. I opened a gel somewhere close to the end of the lap and dreamed of my bottle hand off.

I pedaled through the venue and saw Laura ahead. Gave her a wave and then reached down and gave my cage a push; I didn't want to lose another bottle in that same spot.

I started my second and last lap and continued to pass a 60+ expert male or one of the younger women every now and then.

I got in a few good gulps occasionally and thought about how I put too much powder in my bottle. I would have preferred plain water. Oh well. I was about half way through the lap and was putting the bottle back in the cage. One split second later and the bottle was on the ground!!! Arggghhh!! HOW DID I DROP MY BOTTLE! I only drank about two thirds of it!!! There was no way I was going back for it. Let the cramping begin. Luckily I only felt one ping in my left quad. Nothing major. I finished off the lap and pushed it the last few 100 meters. When I crossed I knew I had won my age group, but didn't know how I did overall.

I saw Christina cross and went to search for something to drink. Caught up with her in just a minute and she had second place!! Awesome.

We went and watched the men finish their third lap. Zach passed a couple of people in the last stretch!


After cleaning up and checking for results that weren't posted yet, we went to watch the pro women line up. Wow, was it awesome. So many fast women there. And a few from the midwest - Jenna, Megan Monroe, Kyia. Although we were chuckling a little.... Were the umbrellas a bit much? And they shortened the pro's laps by 1. So pro women and expert women both did 2, and pro men and expert men both did 3. And they did it because of the heat!!?? What the heck. I very vividly remember a WORS race at 9 mile a few years back. It had to be upper nineties that day with humidity in the nineties also. It was a miserable day. Yesterday's high was in the eighties and the air is so dry here that your sweat actually has a cooling effect. I couldn't believe it. But the nice part about the shortened number of laps was that we were all able to compare our times with the pros.


We stayed for the whole women's race. Watched them pass by on their way to start their second lap. And yes, Rachael, I was a total star f.er and took a picture of almost everyone as they rode by. :)

The Twin Six ladies that raced expert were doing handoffs right in the same area as us. They were all in from Denver and call themselves Yeti Beti. They were all stoked to be racing so early in the season and to be hanging out in some nice warm weather. They were fun to talk with. They couldn't say enough about summertime riding in Crested Butte. Hhmm.....

We hung around to watch the awards and then to see the pro men go off. Another exciting thing to see. I took a couple of shots of their start also. Just kept pushing the button as many times as the camera would let me and check out who I ended up getting!! Right smack in the center of the picture.




It turned out to be a great weekend. Zach finished second in his age group, I grabbed first in my age group and overall in xc, and Christina finished second in age and 4th overall.

Next we are staying local for the Prescott Punisher (MBAA race) on the 19th and then the Whiskey Off Road on the 26th! It's a busy month.