The F Factor

It is 8:30am on Sunday, raining and I am pedaling up Pilot Mountain Road headed to the top of Farlow. Just a few minutes ago the rain was only like heavy dew but now it seems as though Mother Nature is out to get us while we plow up one of the hardest climbs in Pisgah. Eric is somewhere behind me while Dennis and Mike pedal in front of me. I just stand up and crank. . .

Saturday morning Kristin and I had some breakfast and headed out to the Greenville Christmas Cross. I don’t think you have to celebrate Christmas to race but I could be wrong. The scene was small but not painfully so.

I greeted those I knew and then watched the masters take off for their race. The course was awesome and set up really well. Not hard to follow unless you’re an idiot like me. There were even a couple tricky spots that could put you on your butt if you stopped paying attention.

The barriers were much higher than I expected and there would be no bunny hopping these beasts. I had never even practice jumped a barrier before so what the hell let’s go race cross. After the masters, we were allowed a course warm-up where I almost killed Seth the race organizer and Land Rover Coach. Whooops!

After I realizing that I am about as graceful as a giraffe trying to limbo jumping the barriers, I was ready to race. As soon as I saw which way the course started I knew I was in a heap of trouble. I wasn’t the only person on a mountain bike but I was the only person with one gear. So when we heard “go” I just watched everyone big ring it away from me. Coming to the first hill I had pulled my way into sixth place about 20 yards behind Mr. Buffington who was racing his first cross race as well.

I can’t remember everything that went on but I felt like crap the first couple laps and just tried to hold my position as I was having a hard time closing the gap up to Ed. At some point a fellow Bo who I had not previously met passed me on the steep run up about ¾ of the way through the course. We were doing five laps and I believe we were on lap two or three.

I thought Bo was going to leave me for good but I pedaled hard on the first climb and held his wheel all the way to the steep run up again. I realized on lap four that I could not let that happen on the last lap or I would lose a place. After the flat section on the final lap, I put the pedal down hard and tried to go by Bo as fast as I could. I pulled a pretty good gap and just prayed that I could hold it in the run up. I held the lead throughout the lap and finished 6th. That was awesome and I really enjoyed it! Thanks for making it a race Bo!!

As to why I would be climbing Farlow 19 hours later, well that will have to wait for another story time.

Thanks to everyone who came out and cheered me on!! All the yelling sure is motivating. I hope we get the chance to do this again in G-vegas.

Photo credits go to Brado, thanks!