Greenbrier is always highlighted on my calender every year. It is Maryland State Championships, partof the AMBC, and the new MARC series. Last year did not go so well…led 2 of 3 laps…then flatted…crashed…then a mechanical took me out. This year I was looking for redemption on Greenbrier.
Forecast all week was not looking good…showers Saturday and Sunday. Saturday came and went with a sprinkle in the morning…then a solid storm rolled through during the night to make the course tacky. Sunday morning…fog and slight drizzle on the drive up with my girl.
Had a solid warm up…legs were feeling good…lined up for the start. Informed by a race volunteer that they had been looking for me for the last 1/2 hour because I “took the wrong number plate”...I only had the number plate that was “handed” to me…no worries…had to focus…numbers were squared.
Had a great start…holeshot up the first climb…got caught on the first decent by 4 riders and tried to hand throughout the first lap. Greenbrier has 3 good climbs…climb 2 is the burner and with the rain made the ground soft and every pedal stroke felt like I was digging into the ground.
Laps 1 and 2 were solid…right around 30 minutes…I could still see top 5 in front. I climbed hard on the 3rd lap to avoid lapped riders…finally catching 4th, 5th, & 6th placed riders. Organizers changed the course slightly this year with a rocky false flat climb near the end section. I stayed with 5th & 6th place and sat on their wheels…I knew if I could get out to the grass finish around the lake I could make a solid finish.
Dumped into the final section and big ringed it to the finish…catching 6th place and just missing out on the 5th and final podium spot. Legs were cooked…lungs cooked…body cooked…a great feeling to a great race.
And with my lady waiting right there for me at the finish nothing could be better.
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