Am I sandbagging now?

Now is the time to decide when I have reached my goals. I got my first Podium at Verge VT on sunday. It was awesome not to feel like a failure! I sorta knew i had a shot at doing well, it was a small field and I was psyched about the mud after flatting out of 4th on saturday. I had done a good job of passing folks the whole race until the flat so i figured I was stronger enough on the power sections to do some damage, but I couldnt let the leaders get too far out.

I sorta didnt do that part very well. Mid hole-shot I was up with the leaders, but I was trying to find a good line and let a few people, including John from BackBay, come around me while we sorted out the first lap. I hung back, not wanting to get bounced off my bike by someone elses line or misjudging the edges of the dirt track we were all riding. I knew I had caught all of the guys in my group on saturday so i gambled i could do it again and waited for the straighter sections of course i knew were coming. I kept seeing the top 2 riders just up ahead.

As one of the three infront of me would get gassed and start slowing i would make a pass. I was in 5th halfway through the first lap, and feeling pretty strong. The first time we hit the whoopdies I was in 4th i think. I left some room to get a clear run and rode the runup without much trouble. I was really able to wind it up the back half of the course. I was in the drops across the straightaway, almost overcooked the turn to the barriers, then was back in the drops chasing through the wide path on behind the finish line. I caught 3rd place through the finish line, and came around him convincingly (ihoped) in the twisty stuff just after.

This was the first time i had something to lose in a bike race and I wasnt quite sure how to handle it. The course was getting noticably slicker each lap, and I was nervous about the worn in track after Nick had wrecked his bike and his hand last year in them. My caution meant that the second lap had a little back and forth, jockeying for 3rd. I was having a blast though, getting in the drops every time there was a straightish section. I gapped 4th place before the stair run and started trying to reel in 2nd.

there were times when i could see him just a turn ahead of me, Matt Green from Spooky, and times when i couldnt. I found out he was a downhiller and the mtb riding definately helped him. Into the whoopdies I was close. After riding the runup and the fast grassy descent I was not. I was making up ground on the power sections, but losing when bike handling could give you an edge.

I spent the whole last lap trying to balance not falling down and maintaining my podium, since 4th place was still in sight, and pushing to close the gap on #2. He must have been flying on the final lap, coming off of the whoops. I drilled it and was scaring myself a little in some of the turns the 2nd half of that lap, but still finished about 10 seconds back.

My dad had come to the race and i thikn got some pictures of me looking tough on the course, which was awesome! There was no podium becuase of the weather, and no medals because of fedex. But it still was pretty neat to have finally done well and almost won something.

Hopefully i can keep it going with a front row start at gloucester