Blue Mountain Box East Coast Showdown
This post is sort of long...well, longer than I'd normally post - but it's two races packed into one post! And I apologize for the lack of photos. I was too busy riding my bikes.
So I see on Eastern States Cup website that there are two races at Blue Mountain on the same day. Both Enduro and Downhill. Which do I do?? The Enduro was 5 stages, of which 4 had lift-service transfers. And, if I registered for the Downhill, I'd get a lift ticket for Saturday (not included with the Enduro registration). How can you argue that deal?
I planned on pre-riding Saturday, bringing both my Juliana for the Enduro and the Fury for the Downhill. I got my registration set away and headed out for the first stage of the Enduro. My plan was to ride each Stage, go back and re-ride ones I wanted practice. Then get on the DH bike.
I waited patiently in the lift line. I guess you can say I'm spoiled with the speed and capacity of the gondola at Mountain Creek. Blue has a traditional chairlift with one hook for a bike. One hook per chair that is. It was a slow haul to the top, granted it was a gorgeous day to enjoy the ride.
I got to Stage 1 and latched onto a few guys ahead of me. Totally in the zone, I missed the turn and ended up on Stage 2. It was steep and long. Lots of tight turns and I felt like I couldn't find my rhythm. I got to the bottom, knowing I somehow got off course. I got back in line and waited for the lift...and waited. I was able to pull up the map and figure out what went wrong.
I started Stage 1 again and got down. That was fun. Until the transfer back to Stage 2, which was a fire road climb. I took my time and restarted Stage 2. Better this time. Waited in line for Stage 3....and waited. I got to the top and Stage 3 had some berms and flow at the top. About half way down my concentration broke and I was heading off trail towards a tree. I managed to stop but tip over onto my shoulder. Ugh. That's going to leave a mark. Down to the bottom again.
Stage 4 had a lot of features that I was able to go around. I felt pretty good about Stage 4. Onto Stage 5. There was a fire road transfer to the start, which was in a soft black muddy area. I started off coasting down the trail only to make a turn and have a rocky climb ahead of me. I was in the wrong gear and the rocks were greasy. Note that for the race I said. Stage 5 for me was the most brutal. I like riding rocks, but these were sharp, jagged and relentless. I went OTB at one point and luckily I had my full-face helmet on because I smacked right onto a rock. Ugh.
At this point, I was starting feel fatigued and frustrated. Between the length of the stages (the longest I've ever done) and waiting in the lift line, I didn't have much time left to pre-ride for the downhill. I switched bikes and went back to the top for the downhill run.
The downhill course was fun. I actually think the Enduro stages were harder, but that could have been because I felt more comfortable on the downhill bike. Unlike the two races I've done at Creek, this course was non-stop rocks and drops. No open areas until the very end. First run felt ok. I went back up for a 2nd run. That felt ok too. I'd had enough for the day and knew to call it before I made a dumb mistake.
Race day arrives and since I was one of the only fools to sign up for both the Enduro and Downhill, they had us go to the top early. I was the only amateur female - there were two pro women. I went last on Stage 1 and had a clean run. Yes.
Climbed up to Stage 2. I again went last and felt ok about my run. I will say that there were times I thought to myself "I should probably be pedaling....this is a race afterall" and yet I found myself just coasting and enjoying the ride.
I waited in line for Stage 3, only to find out just as I loaded onto the chair that I can cut the line for Stages 4 and 5. I had a good run on Stage 3....as well as Stage 4. At this point, I'm starting to feel a bit tired. And I still had Stage 5.
I got to the start of Stage 5 and just said "go". I clocked in and the areas I struggled with during the pre-ride I cleaned. YES! And then I was on the ground. My concentration and mojo broke and I went OTB. My left palm and right shoulder smacked onto the rocks. My bike was on top of me. I gathered myself and tried to get back on the bike. And then my "fanny pack" (I need to write a review about how awful it is) was stuck on my saddle. I futzed with that and ended up ripping it apart to get myself situated. Fcccckkkk. I rode out the rest of Stage 5 but was a bit annoyed and feeling the crash.
I turned in my timing chip, noted my start time for the downhill, changed and switched my number plate and bike. I didn't have enough time for one last pre-ride. Oh well. So it goes.
There were 9 ladies in the downhill race...I was by far the oldest. In fact, for most of the girls, I could have been their mom (they were high school age). I got onto the start ramp and waited for my countdown. Then it was go time.
I had an ok run. I was conservative and the crash on Stage 5 of the Enduro was setting in. I just wanted to get to the bottom. Which I did. I didn't hear my time but knew it wasn't the fastest. I washed my bike and headed to my car. I waited for results.
It ended up that I finished 4th in the Downhill...and 4th in the Enduro. And for the Box East Coast Showdown (combined) I finished 3rd.
Lessons learned - always listen to your coach's advice.
So I see on Eastern States Cup website that there are two races at Blue Mountain on the same day. Both Enduro and Downhill. Which do I do?? The Enduro was 5 stages, of which 4 had lift-service transfers. And, if I registered for the Downhill, I'd get a lift ticket for Saturday (not included with the Enduro registration). How can you argue that deal?
I planned on pre-riding Saturday, bringing both my Juliana for the Enduro and the Fury for the Downhill. I got my registration set away and headed out for the first stage of the Enduro. My plan was to ride each Stage, go back and re-ride ones I wanted practice. Then get on the DH bike.
I waited patiently in the lift line. I guess you can say I'm spoiled with the speed and capacity of the gondola at Mountain Creek. Blue has a traditional chairlift with one hook for a bike. One hook per chair that is. It was a slow haul to the top, granted it was a gorgeous day to enjoy the ride.
I got to Stage 1 and latched onto a few guys ahead of me. Totally in the zone, I missed the turn and ended up on Stage 2. It was steep and long. Lots of tight turns and I felt like I couldn't find my rhythm. I got to the bottom, knowing I somehow got off course. I got back in line and waited for the lift...and waited. I was able to pull up the map and figure out what went wrong.
I started Stage 1 again and got down. That was fun. Until the transfer back to Stage 2, which was a fire road climb. I took my time and restarted Stage 2. Better this time. Waited in line for Stage 3....and waited. I got to the top and Stage 3 had some berms and flow at the top. About half way down my concentration broke and I was heading off trail towards a tree. I managed to stop but tip over onto my shoulder. Ugh. That's going to leave a mark. Down to the bottom again.
Stage 4 had a lot of features that I was able to go around. I felt pretty good about Stage 4. Onto Stage 5. There was a fire road transfer to the start, which was in a soft black muddy area. I started off coasting down the trail only to make a turn and have a rocky climb ahead of me. I was in the wrong gear and the rocks were greasy. Note that for the race I said. Stage 5 for me was the most brutal. I like riding rocks, but these were sharp, jagged and relentless. I went OTB at one point and luckily I had my full-face helmet on because I smacked right onto a rock. Ugh.
At this point, I was starting feel fatigued and frustrated. Between the length of the stages (the longest I've ever done) and waiting in the lift line, I didn't have much time left to pre-ride for the downhill. I switched bikes and went back to the top for the downhill run.
The downhill course was fun. I actually think the Enduro stages were harder, but that could have been because I felt more comfortable on the downhill bike. Unlike the two races I've done at Creek, this course was non-stop rocks and drops. No open areas until the very end. First run felt ok. I went back up for a 2nd run. That felt ok too. I'd had enough for the day and knew to call it before I made a dumb mistake.
Race day arrives and since I was one of the only fools to sign up for both the Enduro and Downhill, they had us go to the top early. I was the only amateur female - there were two pro women. I went last on Stage 1 and had a clean run. Yes.
Climbed up to Stage 2. I again went last and felt ok about my run. I will say that there were times I thought to myself "I should probably be pedaling....this is a race afterall" and yet I found myself just coasting and enjoying the ride.
I waited in line for Stage 3, only to find out just as I loaded onto the chair that I can cut the line for Stages 4 and 5. I had a good run on Stage 3....as well as Stage 4. At this point, I'm starting to feel a bit tired. And I still had Stage 5.
I got to the start of Stage 5 and just said "go". I clocked in and the areas I struggled with during the pre-ride I cleaned. YES! And then I was on the ground. My concentration and mojo broke and I went OTB. My left palm and right shoulder smacked onto the rocks. My bike was on top of me. I gathered myself and tried to get back on the bike. And then my "fanny pack" (I need to write a review about how awful it is) was stuck on my saddle. I futzed with that and ended up ripping it apart to get myself situated. Fcccckkkk. I rode out the rest of Stage 5 but was a bit annoyed and feeling the crash.
I turned in my timing chip, noted my start time for the downhill, changed and switched my number plate and bike. I didn't have enough time for one last pre-ride. Oh well. So it goes.
There were 9 ladies in the downhill race...I was by far the oldest. In fact, for most of the girls, I could have been their mom (they were high school age). I got onto the start ramp and waited for my countdown. Then it was go time.
I had an ok run. I was conservative and the crash on Stage 5 of the Enduro was setting in. I just wanted to get to the bottom. Which I did. I didn't hear my time but knew it wasn't the fastest. I washed my bike and headed to my car. I waited for results.
It ended up that I finished 4th in the Downhill...and 4th in the Enduro. And for the Box East Coast Showdown (combined) I finished 3rd.
Lessons learned - always listen to your coach's advice.
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| Enduro podium |
 |
| Downhill (I'm the grandma in the photo) |
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| Box East Coast Showdown |
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