Below are TWO stories of the race from two different "perspectives"...!
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Story #1: Kirk Morrison:
I had a tough day but still had fun (...stopped at the mile 15 beer tent to console myself …)!!!
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Story #2: HannaH Brewer:
Going into the Dash for Cash, I didn’t know what to expect. I had been on my bike exactly 6 times since February, and my legs just weren’t totally back yet. Would today be the day they “came back?” I could only hope.
Okay, my technical skills weren’t totally back yet either. I crashed super hard 3 days before the race at North Park, and my left shoulder was still sore (but I could move it, so it was totally race-worthy.)
Who crashes at North Park?
And who thought it was a good idea to not ride a bike all winter?!?!
I rode safely and within my comfort zone for the first few miles. The Dash for Cash expert loop is a long, hilly, and technical, course. All I could think about during those first few miles was:
Don’t. Blow. Up.
Ten miles in, I was feeling alright. Ruthie was ahead of me and my skills were meh, but I was racing. It felt good to be racing, and I was okay with racing my way back into shape.
Ruthie and I played cat and mouse for miles. She is strong and smooth in the technical sections, and I had a blast chasing her through the woods! Being the friendly racing buddy that she is, she let me lead into a section of single track with just a few miles to go. To my surprise, instead of blowing up, I found my “Race Face.”
Race Face means defying all logic when riding and putting complete trust in my skills and my fitness. This was something I hadn’t done since the Month of Mud last fall. When “Race Face” comes out, my riding style changes completely, and goes something like this:
That descent looks sketchy-- go faster. You won’t realize how steep it is.
That rock garden looks too hard --you ride Moraine. No rock garden is too hard for you.
I should probably downshift and save some energy on this hill—Spin harder. You’ll get up it faster.
That rock looks wet and slippery—Ride it right and it won’t matter.
That log looks too high for me --- if Rich Allen watched you cyclo-cross that log, he’d make you go back and re-ride it. Just hop it!
After that long winter of running, nothing feels better than bombing through the woods. I knew that whatever place I finished, I had a good race.
No, I had a GREAT race, because at the end of the day, it’s not about winning. It’s about feeling good on your bike, trusting yourself, always racing like you’re still in the game, and loving the thrill of the trail.
In those last few miles, I finally felt one with my bike again and maintained my lead all the way to the finish line.
Training makes you strong, but racing makes you fierce. And I’m back.
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RESULTS - Expert Division
HannaH Brewer
17th Place Overall
1st Place Woman
Bobby Irwin
5th Place Overall
RESULTS: Sport Division
Kirk Morrison
41st Place Overall
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