Design Physics Racing

Saturday, Jim Fisher and I represented the team for the Ridge the Ridge Race put on by the Blue Ridge School. (And Mason gets honorable mention as a teammate by blood relation). I could tell it two ways:

A) I got 2nd in Sport Women!
B) I got last in Sport Women!

Both would be correct as there were only two sport women riders. Well, three if you count High School Sport but I think that is pushing it as far as biasing my results. Results are here.

But regardless, it was a blast! The last time I did this race was in 2010, after it had rained all morning. It had been muddy, wet, and slippery. This time, although it had rained in the Richmond area, it was dry in Dyke Virginia. The trails, when they were not uphill, were fast. In 2010 I remember walking A LOT over the rocks, and uphills that I would normally be able to do, slipping on roots and having to get off and try to restart. This time it went a lot more smoothly. Either I have gotten better or it was because the trails were dryer, or both but either way I walked a lot less so that felt good. There were still a few sections where the rocks were too big for me to handle but that is good it keeps you striving to improve. Also new this year were some professionally cut trails- reminded me of some of those quick rollers at the Tidewater Challenge- they were super fun. You didn’t even have to try to catch some air. I wondered what it would be like going at expert speed on those things. The climbing was killer, as Tony Brown said at the start of the race- “You’ll know you raced in the Blue Ridge”.

I heard Mason put the other teen boys to shame. Most of them were racing High School Beginner so only had to do one lap. After Mason went through for her second lap, one of the fathers sent his son back out to do another lap.

Overall I was impressed with how well the race was organized, trail markings, etc. I will definitely be back. All proceeds went to a good cause, World Bicycle Relief.