2009 Highland Forest Classic recap AKA Mudfest 2009

I knew it wasn't going to be good when I awoke early on Sunday to the sound of rain and thunder claps. Highland is wet even in the driest of summers. Ah, well, it is about the experience, right? And when I was a kid, the more mud the better.

I got a later start than I hoped but made it to Highland in record time. Picked up my race number and pint glass with ten minutes to spare, I was told. Ten minutes turned into twenty and drizzle turned into downpour. I slurped down a double expresso Gu (bad idea in some respects, good in others) and lined up with the other Sport 30-39 races when it was our turn. The race started up hill and, well, they don't call it mountain biking for nothing. Since I wasn't out to win this thing, I hung with the pack as long as I felt comfortable and then settled into my rhythm. I passed a few riders on the first climb, one or two passing me back on the downhill. This went on until we all found our paces and settled into the muddy groove. The course is in and out of single and double track so there are plenty of places to pass. 

With the rain and mud, I thought my riding glasses would be clutch. Wrong. The grinding uphills caused them to fog and the desire to keep things upright meant I went too slowly on the downhills for them to defog. One quarter of the way through the first lap, I decided it was better to risk mud in the eye to see for most of the time than to not be able to see through foggy, mud-flecked, and rain-speckled glasses. I am grateful for my (nearly) perfect eyesight because some riders who need glasses to see did not have this option.

Can we talk about the mud for a second? Last year, I raced the Raccoon Rally, which was also  a mud fest. But the mud there was different. It was mainly slick and greasy, allowing you to go (sometimes dangerously) fast. Not so with Highland. Here, the mud was in places slick and fast but for the most part it was like riding through quagmire. My tires stuck to the mud like a fly to the fly-paper in a greasy spoon diner. This would be fine except that the greasy spots were on the downhills and the fly paper spots on the flats and uphills. Go figure, right? Fortunately, I managed to keep things rubber side down the entire race (thanks to the pre-ride last week) with only a few miscues into the bushes. 

The first lap things weren't too chewed up yet so I came through in just over 45 minutes, not too bad and would have placed me first or second in the beginner class. At the start of the second lap, I decided to skip the second caffeine laced Gu shot and grind it out on the jitters from the first. Also, the trail was being pulverized into mud mousse so I decided to see what luck I would have with the glasses. I felt a little more confident on the downhills so they stayed a bit clearer and saved my eyes from shots of muck. I passed a few riders who had mechanical issues (mud wreaks havoc on a drivetrain) and felt pretty decent. I kept an eye on the clock on my computer and noticed my time was slowing down, mainly due to the trail conditions. Ah, well, I was still having fun. I rolled through the second and final lap to a small, drenched but much less muddy crowd of spectators to finish in 1 hour and 37 minutes. A few minutes later, the leader of the Expert class finished - three laps in the time it took me to do two... I guess that's why they call it the expert class. I was thinking about entering that just so I could do three laps but am glad I didn't. 

Overall, I am satisfied with the time. It is very close to what it took me to do two laps during the pre-ride last week which I feel means that had the conditions been better, I would have ridden a much faster time. Next year maybe.

So all in all, a muddy, fun event. I am glad I pre-registered because I (a) got a sweet new pint glass out of the deal and (b) didn't have to worry about being late. I wish I had some pictures because my bike and I were a mess. So much so that when I went to return my race number for the deposit, the folks taking them laughed at me. In my post race haze, I looked around at first to see what they were laughing at only to realize it was me. "You are the muddiest we've seen yet." It seems other racers were using the hose to clean themselves and their bikes. I chose only the bike. 

I noticed the Farmall race series is starting this week in Rochester. Bummer I am going to miss this, it is a fun one. I'll just have to find something else around here although there seem to be pretty slim pick'ns, just like the wares at the local bike shops. Do I really have to go to three shops to find cleats and shoes? Well, yes, yes I do. Ah, well, that is the price I have to accept to keep myself in good working order. 

Maybe I'll try a six hour race next, just to keep things interesting.