Why hello, there, Mr. Rock. You look fine today.

(photo: Jim Parman) Ya know, when your expectations are low, when what should be happy anticipation turns into complete dread, it doesn't take much to beat the odds and feel good about what happens. Which is exactly the way the deck was stacked on Saturday for the 12 hours (I did 3) at John Muir. On Thursday I hated the trail, as I had before, and I arrived in a carful of slightly-late HAC riders, just looking to get it over with. Not hard to come out on top when your only goal is survival!

Lap one I just let everyone go. I rode with Fran from Clif Bar for a bit, who had the PERFECT attitude. I unclipped a few times and had to walk when traffic in front of me was stopped a few times, and I always gave the automatic, "crap! I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it! It's just bikes! Let it go!"

Thanks, I needed that, Fran... I will! And so, off I went. Halfway through lap one I started actually going somewhere, and then came through the first lap at 1:09. Well, crap, that means a 2 lap race for me unless I take 18 minutes off my lap time, which is silly to even attempt. After a PERFECT bottle handup from Jacob Thom (who won the kids' race!) I came to the clearing before the switchbacks and saw Fran behind me, and decided it was time.

ZOOM! I took that downhill at a speed that I'd hazard to call hazardous. I really just plowed over and through nearly everything in that lap, and had fun with it. Which is not to say I was able to shed my habit of riding over the biggest rock in the trail at every opportunity, but I liked the trail ok, and I just loved the new-cut section through the trees on the backside-- almost like Stump Farm! Things went swimmingly and I didn't even fall into the lake.

All in all, 6 of 11 finishers. I'll take it! Even broke my DFL streak.

Congrats to teammates Al, Adrian, Jason, Bob, Mike, Ronit, Jacob, and Erica and honorary teammate Amy! What fun. And congrats to Britt on taking 2nd- she's really kicking butt on her first season racing trail.