This past weekend was a weekend of firsts for me… 1st-born child came home from the hospital, 1st Bump and Grind Expert XC Race win, and 1st Super D Race win.
Sydney entered the world at 10am on Thursday June 2. Fortunately we had great support from our parents over the next few days in the hospital. I ended up spending the nights and mornings in the hospital and loosening up or racing in the afternoons. It's all a blur now, but getting away and riding for a few hours each day definitely helped keep us all from overwhelming each other.
Once again, BUMP put on an amazing Bump and Grind Mountain bike race weekend. I can't help to think how lucky I am to have the biggest XC race in the Southeast right in my own town. BUMP added the Super D to the events this year, and it consisted of about 70% downhill and 30% climbing. I focused on minimizing braking, holding the quickest lines through the single-track, and hammering the short climbing sections. In the end, I managed to take the win by over a minute on the 4.5 mile course. It certainly helped that I've been riding the course on a regular basis for the last 4 years, but I also give credit to my Trek Superfly 100. Compared to the hardtail that I normally ride, the full suspension felt like I was cheating on the fast and rough downhill sections. The Super D was a reminder of the high adrenaline downhills that made me fall in love with mountain biking as a kid.
The weekend of racing ended with the XC race on Sunday. With near 100 degree temperatures, and over 31 miles of trail, it was more about energy management than anything else. I had to dial my pace back on the climbs to keep from overheating. Fortunately, I was able to make up for it by staying focused and railing the twisty single-track with few mistakes. In the end, this strategy worked to hold on for the race win. It was a truly memorable weekend!
Omar
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