Budu Race #3 @ Lake Sawyer in Black Diamond

Let's start this post with this; I had no plans to do this race. I was suppose to race the Tour de Dung. But this weather....f'n cold and snowy made me rethink a road race and pushed me to do this race. I've ridden Lake Sawyer a number of times and it's a super place to trail ride and work on your technical skills but for some reason the race course there is on the worst trails they can find. I'm sure it's due to who owns what portions of land and will let the race occur. This race is virtually flat with one short hill that due to the snow was a run up today. But most of the rest of the course is winding singletrack that is nothing but baby heads. Strange name that defines a trail that is just solidly full of round rocks the size of a baby's head. There were only a few sections of doubletrack that would allow passing so the race was very much a processionnal with a start section that itself was mostly skinny and didn't allow for much passing. So on we went, me sitting on Dan B's wheel until we got to the first doubletrack and he attempted to make a pass, hit the rider next to him and went down in a tumble. With the snow sticking to him he looked like a snowman. I yelled and he said we was OK so on I went. I passed the other racer and ended up riding alone for a long time. I eventually caught and passed another rider in the younger age group and he jumped on my wheel. He was really good in the technical stuff and I could pull away in the straights. But then he'd be back. Like a Lampre he just hung on and multiple requests to let him pass were declined. Next thing I know Bob from the team is behind the other guy and talking to me. Bob was just warming up and decided to pay me back for all the times I've sat on his wheel and annoyed him. Though it wasn't really that annoying today as it was nice to have someone to talk to. As we were getting close to the last lap I saw Sean ahead and turned it on as any "rabbit" will make me push. I didn't catch him but I did get within a few seconds of him. The race ended up being 15 1/2 miles and took 1:34 to finish. I felt like a slug going thru the baby heads and figured I was about last but it turned out I was 5th and that was enough to push me up to 2nd place overall in the series for Expert 40+ men. I'm sure it won't last but it's nice to be doing so well in Expert. Even though the course wasn't the best and the weather sucked, I did have a good time struggling thru the course. But due to the weather I didn't take any photos today which is a bummer and I'm sure I'll get some emails from people asking about it. Enough with the snow...let's get spring going!