spanish lake

i have mixed emotions about racing at spanish lake. i think i raced there first back in 1989, maybe 1990. it was nothing more than some jeep track connected by short single track sections back then. today, it's still jeep track and single track, but the single track has grown to comprise 60% or so and it's pretty challenging stuff.

be that as it may, i don't particularly like racing there. i've had really, really good races there and really, really bad ones. it's a great place to race, as it always produces good competition...i just don't like it.

i did have success today, regardless of my feelings for it. it was in the 90's by the time we lined up, so i have to admit to planning on taking it easy and letting the race come to me. but i got all flumoxed sometime early in the first lap and started attacking. i can't tell you why. i just did. by the end of the second lap, it was just the murderous john matthews and i picking off the young'uns on the trail. it's always a tricky deal racing that guy. we have almost the same strengths and we're both pretty experienced. after sprinting for the finish and being told we had another lap (curse the timed mtb race format!!) i was a bit demoralized, but i think john was more demoralized and for the first time we had daylight between us. i actually caught up to chris ploch momentarily, then he decided he didn't want me doing that. so i ended up with 6 laps and a lot of sweat for first place in the old man expert class.

the best part of the day was seeing mrs k and the boys. they arrived with one lap to go, which was good because there's no good reason for them to bake in the sun to watch yours truly at another mtb race.

thanks for all of the cheers along the course, it seemed like there were people everywhere with nice things to say.