My First Race

[*mike68*]

Rode my first race yesterday. It was the King Phillip enduro in Wrentham Mass.

Entered B-Vet class.

Rode 80 miles with only one 9min break to refuel.

My ass and the rest of my body are quite sore.

Came in near last or last with 154 points.

The story:

Up at 4:30 am

Load up and head out by 5:30

At track at 7am

Join AMA and enter event.

Not sure what to do for the event, but wanting to ride the whole event I enter Vet B-Class. Those guys rip and looking at the score sheets after, the B-vets had the fastest times in B-class for the day. Probably not the best choice.

Got my route sheet and went for some help on how to use it.

Oh S@#T, this is a little more involved than I thought, resets, free territories, key time?

Oh Boy. Get the rundown, but am still clueless.

Race starts and I am off. Hit my first check point perfect, reset

Never engaged my odometer after reset and now have no clue as to where I am so I pick up the pace. I burn the next checkpoint by 2 min. Reset

Hit third checkpoint right on time, been crashing a little and stalling a little,

Never reset or rolled the route sheet, follow arrows, drink

Next checkpoint 8 min late and then reset and rolled rte sheet. Probably around mile 25 right now. Too much weight in pack, shoulders burning, hands are numb.

Hitting the wall, so I backed off the pace a little, knowing I had a long day ahead of me.

This is where not knowing how or when to make up time cost me many points. I hit a few trees and it is taking a lot out of me. I get on the smoothe stuff and some roads, but have no clue how fast to go to make up time, so I just follow the guy in front of me when I should have kept trucking while it was easy. Did I say my ass hurts.

Firs spectator section, people cheering, I don’t know those people, but I love them!

I have lost all concept of reset, time and direction. It’s tough to keep up with it without a computer. I love the trail markers.

20 min layover for fuel. To keep on time, since I was 11 min behind, I have 9 min to rest and refuel. OUCH! Gone in 9 min and very tired. I dumped every tool out of my pack and shed 5 lbs. That helped. Gave up on the route sheets, time and resets and set my goal on ending the race by just riding it out. Really cramping up, but it’s just pain, nothing critical. Last 8 miles was the tightest, freshest singletrack I have ever seen.. 1st gear and clutching it. It was tight. Wan’t to stand, but can’t. too slow and twisty.

Finding the WR to be a little big for the first time.

Finally finish, exhausted and sore.

I think I could have done much better if I knew how to use the free time areas and when to make up time. I was basically clueless on all of that, but had a great ride. It was a true test of my endurance. There is so much funny stuff to tell, but I just can’t type it all.

I can now relate to the first ride stories and will read more of the. Every time I read one, I say to myself, “man, that guy crashes a lot”. Now I understand.

My hat goes to all you racers. Thanks for all the advice in previous posts about racing..

[YAMAKAZE]

Looks like you did pretty good for your first race.....I felt like I had been through a pinball machine at the end of my first one. It will get better, the bad part is that there is nothing other than racing like that to prepare you for it. Everything changes when somebody puts a timer on you, sends you out in the middle of BFE and the adrinalin starts to flow. I have been back doing scrambles for 2 years now, and your first race sounds alot like my last one. I may never win or even place in the top ten of one of these things....But man what a ball.

I just follow the markers, ride fast and laugh like hell at what I seen people do all along the way. ?

Any event you can walk away from and have your bike in tact is a successful one....no matter where you finish in the pack.

Congrats Dude.....

Bonzai

[Guest Guest]

Mike, That's what turkey runs are for, to practice for enduro's. I rode my share in the late 70's and early 80's in the "C" class. This is not a race like a 100 mile hare&hound,it's a timekeeping event to test your riding skills and physical condition against the local club members who laid it out. And their mission is to make you as misserable as possible, did they succeed? I see KTM in your future, like 400exc or 200exc.These events are the most fun...the day after. I may get back into them, but only with the right bike. Ken

[This message has been edited by DRZorro (edited September 17, 2001).]

[MN_Kevin]

I have always said riding and racing are two different animals. One is usually sheer pleasure, the other sheer competition with pleasure and pain thrown in.

Racing will make you the best rider you will ever be, IMHO.

Now Mike, wouldn't a 2-stroke KTM 200/300 have been more fun in the woods...???

Ready for our next Turkey Run? These are pure pleasure enduro's/Hare Scrambles!

[*mike68*]

I am going to stick it out on the WR for a while. Softer seat foam may be required. I definatley had fun as it is always good to ride new terrain. I lost 3 pounds.

Kev,

F them stinky 2-smokes! Wr250f may be in the future plans for sure!

[This message has been edited by *mike68* (edited September 17, 2001).]

[Bill]

Mike,

Nathaniel told me you called. I figured you were to burnt yesterday to call and I'm to burnt today to call.

I rode hard yesterday and had a ball. I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Bill

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99 WR400f, YZ timed, MX-Tech suspension, Scotts steering damper, White Bros E-Series (12 discs), tapered header and a/f. Kouba T-handle for the fuel screw. Works Connection billet throttle tube and frame guards. Cycra Pro-Bend, triple clamp mount handguards. Thumper Racing rad guards, Renthal Jimmy Button highs, YZ Tank and IMS seat, YZ number plate, odo removed, de-octopussed (Thanks Clark) EKP #4, 50PJ, 175MJ, 100PAJ and 65 SJ at 500-1000' Thanks James Dean!

[YZ400Court]

I did my 1st enduro a couple of weeks ago. Mine was a little different than yours. Borrowed a checkmate from a buddy. Programmed it before the race, hit the button and ride. Good news, the guy next to me has done this before...follow him. 5 miles in 1st test...3 miles of loose rock downhill, will it ever end. 1 mile down the hill the guy on my row is long gone, as well as the next row or two. Hear fast guy coming, move over and stop only to be amazed at the sight of a guy gassing it with his right hand, and waving with his left also yelling thanks (enduro guys are sooo nice). Finally 3 miles and dropped 14 min later the checkout. 8 miles into the race, and dropped 14 min. Mile 13.5, a guy with a flat, good news I have a spare tube, co2 and irons. Gave them to him and rode on. mile 14, a guy laying face down, 3 guys looking at him. I need a rest anyway (actually at 14 miles I'm looking for a good reason to quit, I've been going downhill for 14 miles now and know the uphills are coming), so I stop. He is hurt very bad, and can not walk. The road is about 1/3 mile up the hill on quad trail. What a good reason to quit, this guy needs help. Ride back up the trail, find the way out, and get help from the race organization. Darn I houred out and the swweps were gone by the time I got back to mile 14. Helped the medic carry gear down to the victim, loaded the guy on the quad summoned from the pits, and hiked back up the hill. He will be okay. Ride back to start, turn in my time card, eat a cheeseburger, get tire irons back, and drive 9 hours home.

It will be one of my fondest racing memories.

I love going to races, but not racing.

Anyone need a good mechanic?? ?

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Pretend it's flat and give it the gas.

[Bill]

Mike,

MoMilkman (Darin) is selling his computer. Check out his post.

Bill

[*mike68*]

Bill,

Not sure where I am going to go with it. I will check the post anyways to see what he is asking. I will have to do a coulpe more enduros and learn the time thing and see where I stand after that. Feeling better today, riding again tomorrow. Glad to hear you had a good ride this wekend as well.

YZ400court,

Thanks for sharing that with me. Sounds like a roughr day than I had ?

[This message has been edited by *mike68* (edited September 18, 2001).]

[MN_Kevin]

Mike, when you make it through the ride without any major damage, you HAD A GREAT RACE!!

Damage to the bike is always second to the rider, always!

[*mike68*]

Both the bike and I made out the same. Both of us got some minor dings and bothe of us are still operational.

Thanks Kev

[freestyle111]

arent you glad you werent racing "A" class now?i told you vet class has some serious competion.

[*mike68*]

You bet,

I learned quite a bit. Definatley learned I wasn't as good as I thought I was.

I will probably stay in the B class becuase I do lile the longer events. In an Enduro, you never hold people up either, so there is no harm in me running it. Now that I have a basic understanding of how the points work and stuff, I can start shaving points. Need to work on the endurance. Yor advice in my earlier posts helped me stay away from the A class.

Thanks.

[freestyle111]

endurance is definetly biggest factor in hare scrambles and enduros.it doesnt matter how fast you run first half the race if you dont finish.best thing you can do is relax and conserve your energy.to keep from getting arm pump i use my clutch as little as possible during first 2\3's of race.to keep your legs fresh dont crash.nothing will wear your body down faster than picking up your bike and restarting it.

[*mike68*]

I know what you mean. I picked my bike up a lot that day and the pig gets heavy after a while.

[EK314]

Mike68 and YZ400Court,

Great stories guys. You both made me laugh hard enough to wet myself.

Ernie

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Life is too short, work hard...play hard

Sponsored by Yamaha of Cucamonga, Larry Roeseler's Stroker Fourstroke Speed Equipment and Answer Racing

[bender647]

Great story Mike. When's the next New

England race? I have to try this.

Dunno about picking up the WR all day,

but my wife is starting to notice

that when she's not around, I take her

KDX instead. Easier on the bones when

I fall down.

[*mike68*]

Bender,

With all that rock and ice climbing, lifting the WR should be a peice of cake. Where do you ride if you live in Boston? Is your WR street legal? You should come up and ride.