This weekend I raced the 2nd round of the NMDRC series in Carlsbad New Mexico, this is one of my least favorite races mainly because its a 7.5 hour drive one way to get there, and when you get there you're greeted by one of the nastiest courses in the state. Rock, whoops, talcum powder like sand, rain ruts, and thats on top of the cattle that roam the area! You name it, its out there. We arrived last Saturday evening, missed the pre-ride, and I hadn't ridden in about 3 weeks so I was kinda apprehensive. I woke up Sunday with a pretty upset stomach as a result of what I'm guessing was due to bad food the night before, I spent about 30 minutes trying to resolve the issue, and couldn't but I didn't drive 7.5 hours for nothing, so I geared up and went out to the race course, tried to eat a little but couldn't eat any more than about half of the food, I opted instead to drink water. Race start at 8 a.m, 30 seconds apart in numerical order, there were only 3 of us and I had the highest #, with a minute to make up on the 1st in my class I knew that patience and endurance (something I doubted I would have given my circumstances) But for whatever reason I seemed to be flowing pretty well off the bat and not using a lot of energy, about 6 miles into lap 1 I caught and passed 2nd with relative ease, as I got around him, I could see 1st, unlike the guy in 2nd he seemed to be riding well within his limits, very smooth and clean. It was right around this time that I committed a major no-no, I looked behind me and it bit me in the ass as I entered a set of sand whoops completely un-prepared, front end dived, and I went over the bars and landed face down in the sand. Un hurt, I picked up the bike, it stayed running, but 2nd had passed me so I had to get going. Not 2 miles later I stalled it in a corner, and usually the bike fires right up but this time? Nope. Kick kick kick, our numbers are assigned based on class, I'm sitting there kicking and bike after bike passes, I'm #295 and I'm seeing 505 roll on by, finally it fired and I could get rolling again, but my energy was gone, I was done, guys from C were passing me as I started to feel sicker and sicker, I tried drinking and it helped, till I ran out, I was halfway through a 60 mile race and out of water. Poopie :/ anyway, about mile 15 I finally got my head back in the game when a Pro who had ran out of gas and had to use an auxillary passed me in typical perfect form and kinda reminded me to get on the balls of my feet standing with elbows up, I'd make good time for the remainder of the lap, I wouldn't have to pit at all this race so I just rolled on through, Its interesting to note that in one of the sand beds the guy in first when I was chasing him went down hard, I rolled right by him and never saw him. I had no idea what position I was in, I figured I had to be 3/3 and I'd just try and finish and use the time to work on my horrible form.
So shortly into lap 2 #282 (previously referred to as 2nd) blew my doors off on a straight I was taking a nap on, it was a long one so as soon as I realized who it was I came too and gave chase, as a credit to the guy who built my motor I easily caught him by the end of the straight, but he'd pass me right back in some deep sand whoops, at this time I was really done, I'd ride around not too far behind him and strike back at the end of lap 2. I passed him and once again passed the pits.
Lap 3 was uneventful other than 1 stall and one tip over, after the tip over my knee felt really weak and strained, which passed, and at one point I tried to open my hand to work the front brake and could not feel anything in my hands, was a weird feeling. I was done. I got to the finish feeling horrible, I didn't care how I had placed, I was completely exhausted, I put the bike on the stand, sat in a lawn chair, and passed out, about 30 minutes later I woke up, changed, and checked the results, I had no idea how it happened, but I finished 1st in class, a good 6 minutes ahead of 2nd. The other 2 later came up to me and explained what had happened to them, one had gone over the handlebars and suffered a concussion, the other had broke his foot trying to catch me and simply rode conservative the 3rd lap.
That was my first win of 2014, and first win racing amateur, it felt good especially considering when I raced novice winning and podiums weren't hard to get for me, and last year when I raced amateur for the first time I was having a hard time cracking top 3.
So shortly into lap 2 #282 (previously referred to as 2nd) blew my doors off on a straight I was taking a nap on, it was a long one so as soon as I realized who it was I came too and gave chase, as a credit to the guy who built my motor I easily caught him by the end of the straight, but he'd pass me right back in some deep sand whoops, at this time I was really done, I'd ride around not too far behind him and strike back at the end of lap 2. I passed him and once again passed the pits.
Lap 3 was uneventful other than 1 stall and one tip over, after the tip over my knee felt really weak and strained, which passed, and at one point I tried to open my hand to work the front brake and could not feel anything in my hands, was a weird feeling. I was done. I got to the finish feeling horrible, I didn't care how I had placed, I was completely exhausted, I put the bike on the stand, sat in a lawn chair, and passed out, about 30 minutes later I woke up, changed, and checked the results, I had no idea how it happened, but I finished 1st in class, a good 6 minutes ahead of 2nd. The other 2 later came up to me and explained what had happened to them, one had gone over the handlebars and suffered a concussion, the other had broke his foot trying to catch me and simply rode conservative the 3rd lap.
That was my first win of 2014, and first win racing amateur, it felt good especially considering when I raced novice winning and podiums weren't hard to get for me, and last year when I raced amateur for the first time I was having a hard time cracking top 3.
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Heck yeah dude! But that made the 7+ hour trip better. 
Great job, never gave up and see what happens.
