That was interesting! I grew up trail running the hills of Scotland in the rain and wind, but back then I wasn’t into mountain biking. So riding in the rain and slippery conditions of Xterra Southeast Championships in Pelham was something I was not used to.
I settled into a good place on the mountain bike despite the weather, jockeying for the lead. I was happy to focus on safety rather than speed and just wanted to make it through to my go-to discipline – the run – in one piece! Even so, I fell off the bike four times! The roots were like ice! If you didn’t go over them at the right angle you came off. By the end, I was getting pretty proficient at crashing, although I’ve since been told that wasn’t the point of the bike leg!
Never felt happier to get out onto the run in a race! And without injury from the ride! Took the lead soon into the run and cruised to a good time all things considered.
Ironically, a couple of days later I was out on a training ride and climbing Palomar Mountain’s 5,000 feet Nate Harrison trail in San Diego County in 100-degree heat thinking a bit of Alabama rain would go down nicely right about now!
