Racers: Shelby, Evan, Doug, C. Shirmer, D.J., Andy, Dean, Dave Fluckiger, Sarah, Dave Fierro, Steve, Garth, Randy, John Stockford, Rick, Kyle, Jill
Volunteers/Support: Kevin (marshal/kid’s ride leader, Matt (expert promoter), Geoff (canopy!), Jen and Tom (registration), Tracy (water station), Arch (marshal/first aid), Jan, Cyndi and most of the racers also helped with marshaling, set-up, clean-up, break-down and about a hundred other things.
Our riders, racers, and volunteers showed up in droves today with tables, chairs, pop-ups, 4 wheelers, and every other item needed to make a bike race happen. What an incredible showing, there were Nerac Earth jersey’s everywhere! I started helping with registration until the start of the first timer/beginner race. Cyndi, Tom, and Jen had it under control so Matt gave me a ride on the 4 wheeler up to the course to marshal. This is my favorite part of Channel 3 and Nutmeg races because I get to see most of the riders, take pics and cheer for them like a crazed person. Just got finished sending the pics to John and had to delete a bunch of them. Dean, Evan, and Andy do you think you could slow down next time so I can get some non-blurry pics???? The Nerac Earth riders all seem to be having a great time. Doug is smoking the field and Evan and Andy are not far behind him. D.J., Evan and Shelby are looking like pros instead of first time racers! Dean, Dave, and Steve are having way too good a time in all that mud. Nice jump off that log Steve! After the 2 beginner laps Matt comes to get me on the ATV to get ready for my race but the sport race is about to start so run down to wish everyone good luck, yap with the beginners about their ride, then the kids race is ready to go. Kevin is leading the kids, there were quite a few of them including Sarah and the Shirmer’s 7 year old, got some pics of them then awards for beginner’s start. Got a few more pics then got ready to race. Yap some more with John, Rick, Dave, and Randy about the sport race, conditions, etc. There are 2 competitor’s in my class today, Laura and Leslie. At the start line Arch is called to treat a sport girl that fell on the last stretch of single track, hope she’s ok. The race starts and as usual my legs start to burn and I end up behind Leslie and Laura and we stay this way for a while. After the track widens, I pass both of them and Laura follows me. It stays that way the entire first lap, Laura is right on my wheel. At the beginning of the 2nd lap she starts to pull away and I don’t worry so much at first but then I realize I don’t have the legs to catch her so I try to ride steadily but I can feel the slowness creeping in. At the top of the climb on lap 2 I turn back and see Leslie about a hundred feel behind me. Craaapppp. I snap out of my slow, steady, pedaling and start taking some risks in the single track and pushing the speed. Poor Sarah tries to hand me my water bottle as I ride by but I’m on a mission now trying to stay in front of Leslie and maybe catch Laura. The 3rd lap flies by now that I’m back on track. I see Juston running with his bike – he’s got a flat. Bummer! Every time I come out of the woods there is a posse of Nerac Earth members. Doug, Dean, and Dave Fl. are on the ATV screaming from location to location to cheer for me and Kyle, they are having some serious fun. The finish line looms up finally and I congratulate Laura, she rode smart and fast today as did Mar, it sounds like they finished together. -Jill
Nerac Earth Cycling 