VT50

My 1st attemopt at the Vt50 report:
Reg'd Saturday, then dinner with pigboy & JBP & their relatives, & off to bed early.
Out of the Hotel at 4:45am, racer meeting at 5:30...and it was cold! (38).

I went off in the 1st wave at 6:15, course was mix of dirt roads, single track & double track and a TON of climbing (8500ft), they had 9 rest stops stocked with anything from bacon to gummie bears to watermelon! (so I heard, I didnt stop at any). I screwed up on one turn early, lost maybe 5 minutes, and never felt like I was riding strong but was only off my time goal by 12 minutes.

The start was nuts - it was semi dark, I had no clue of the course...the 1st few miles were slightly downhill dirt roads, picture 150 plus mtn bikers bunched up doing 25-30mph and no one had a light!!! Even thou it was a 50 mile loop there was almost always another rider around which is cool. Sometimes the climbs seemed to never (and I mean never!) stop. The course was pretty awesome, not very technical - and I cant really remember a flat section - you were either climbing or descending. The volunteers rocked! So many people out on the course cheering you on....I hope they know how appreciated that was. And all of the riders were cool, I had no passing or getting passed issues.I know I did an extra .5 miles but according to my cyclometer I had 52 miles...when you're spent and expecting it be done at 50.5, that extra 1.5 of climbing is Brutal !

Hmm, what else...BrynaN won expert/pro SeniorII, and was 2nd female in behind Lea Davidson (pro trek rider)!!
My female Hardcore 24 teammate (LaurenK) won sport SeniorII division!
My other Hardcore teammate/friend (JenL) won Novice SeniorII!
And JohnPeters was 2nd in Novice MasterII!
Awesome job you all!!

My time was 5:41 which put me in 5oth/79 in expert/pro Vet - and 150th out of 686 overall. Next year, top 100??

Besides all the food/drink stops, everyone got a finish medal, a tshirt and hat at Reg, plus a BBQ afterwards. I hung out after for several hours chatting with various friends, oh and there was a band too.

When I left at 4:30 I noticed people still fininshing.....thats a long time to be racing your mtn bike

Crazy, epic, tough, painful and amazingly well organized. I'll be back next year.

http://www.skipix.com/skipixv2/viewlargeimage.php?lang=en&photosetid=1566&filename=DSC_8163.jpg