Well I thought I had Mark ([url]http://www.team-pinnacle.org/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1010[/url]) hands down on dirtiest but upon close examination perhaps not. I definitely get points for full immersion though.

[img:ed1e0b9dc1]http://www.team-pinnacle.org/media/images/forum/ryan_moody_TrailRun08.jpg[/img:ed1e0b9dc1]
My Superman fly / slide into the first mud hole on the course was good enough for a 1 pound of bacon uncontested dirtiest competitor prize.

A couple weeks ago I was in rough shape but things came together this week and I feel pretty good about my performance today. Not sure what my official time or place was yet but I went well under 40 so I'm happy with that (roughly 38 min) and I was able to maintain the highest AHR and hit my highest MHR of anything I've seen since I've been monitoring it.

It was great to get out and do my first pure running race in a long time and to be surrounded by friends doing it.

Play by Play:

Properly positioned myself in the back of the pack for the start, with a nice long gentle descent for the first .5 +- miles I was able to find my comfort zone in the middle between the fast pack and the slower group. We round the corner into the single track and I tripped over a stump in full stride and down I went into the first mud hole. As I'm sliding into the mud I can here a hole group of people behind me going "oooh, aaah, that sucks", yeah my thoughts exactly except I think mine came out more like [b:ed1e0b9dc1]S.......T[/b:ed1e0b9dc1]. I sprung to my feet like a cheetah in a whole world of pissed off, sprinting for the next .25 mile or so suddenly I realize the group that was behind me is no longer there and I can't keep this up forever, so I slow down a bit and am still having some unhappy thoughts about the splash down, soon they subside and I get back in the right zone and out of the muddy single track and onto some dry ground having made the turn heading back to the start and gravity cavity.

At this point there are few around me, the fast group is long gone and the slow group has drifting back and is dispersing. It's time to go into conservation mode for the cavity and the long haul to the top of the field. Soon I start hearing a familiar breathing pattern on my heels and strongly suspect Lori Richer in my draft as soon as we hit some spectators, it's confirmed Lori is right there, awesome I think, shouldn't be long now before she passes me, but some how that never happened. Conservation mode worked great, thought I might have conserved a little too much as I felt good coming into the cavity but big surprise I was dragging big time coming out of the cavity and felt like a snail on the first half of the climb to the field. Happily I started to feel energy flowing back into my legs about half way for the field and by the time I hit the field I knew it was go time.

Shortly I was able to pass a guy that had be trading places with me for most of the course but I knew I was faster on the downhill and I never saw him again after that. I did however get a glimpse of Lori on the last descent and that may have been all the incentive I needed to keep it going through to the finish line.

Overall, it was a great race, and I'm glad I did it.

Ryan

My favorite Ryan "I sprung to my feet like a cheetah in a whole world of pissed off"

congratulations on the race, the smiles say it all. BTW I fall a lot but never get up like a cheetah.

Good story, good pics, where's the results? Watermans? Richers? Obrien? Hey I told you 38 minutes!!

Who is slopping tomorrow (Sunday)? I think I will send my kids.

PJ

Nice job Ryan! It looks like everyone had a good time.

I'm still planning on slogging it out in Muddy, I mean Moody Park tomorrow. I put knobbies on, running about 7 psi.
I have a snorkel and fins. I'm hoping to better last week's picture.

Cheers,

MG

What a great job, Ryan! I love your description of the race--most especially "the unhappy thoughts about the splashdown"--Ha! By the clean(er) appearance of Lori & Nathan, those behind you were able to avoid the mud hole you fell into! I sure hope you hosed down outside before going in your house! Looks like great fun was had by all--looking forward to seeing the results.

Julie

Well it was to be an easy pace, fast enough to say I raced competitively yet slow enough to conserve some leg for tomorrows XC MTB race.

That was the plan, but you know me, most of my plans are made once I step out the door and they are often quickly altered.

Oh, but wait! Moody is a downhill start! Now I remember, to bad those thoughts raced into my head as I was sprinting full tilt out of the blocks surrounded by guys much taller, leaner and faster looking than me.
I convinced myself that folks around me were just as surprised at running sub-6 minute miles and would soon blow up.

I don't know if it happened that way but by the time I exited the muddy long bridge loop I was on the heels of a solid looking kid with a strong pace and a lanky, long legs road runner. I passed speedy and kept on the heels of the kid into Gravity Cavity. Speedy played it perfect and flew by us. I opted to walk up the other side keeping right on the heels of the the kid who ran to the top.

The GC slowed the kids pace and I passed him on the new single track after he rolled his ankle and chased down Speedy on the long climb. He too was slowing so I decided to open the gap to the top of the hill and through the meadow so I wouldn't have to hammer the downhill and my quads, you know save something to the next day. I could see Randy up ahead, with little chance of catching him or Chris Martin who was not to far in front of him, I coasted into the finish feeling pretty good.

And it was good enough to earn 12th over all, 3rd in my Cat. (40-49) and a pound of smoked meat!

Lori too won some meat for her 2nd place showing in 30-39W with a 3rd over all. A really good race since she felt like crap prior to, didn't know the course and had little desire to be racing. I guess when the gun fires we all get in line.

Congrats to Randy for another 1 in the 50+Cat. He and Dana won a pair of running shoes (I've got to say this series has some the best podium loot I've seen). Mike Moody for kicking out a strong pace. Adam for a 2nd in 20-29. And Ryan, the photo says it all, glad you had a strong run.
 
Alone in the woods, who stands to be King?

Forgot to bring my flash drive, hopefully Scott H will send me the results tonight for posting.

Ryan

Sundays MTB race almost didn't happen.
I arrived with 10 minutes to spare, stashed a water bottle and signed in.
I lined up in the back of a small pack once again with the plan to lay low and take it easy on the greasy course. MG & Dana had raced Sport Class earlier and said I'd be walking the majority of the race, so I wasn't going to go crazy. :wink:
Although Brian bowed out for the day, Aaron Millet and other speedy guys were in my pack so I was looking for a top 10 finish at best (there was only 9 guys). :roll:
Fast downhill start to the long bridge loop which was miserable. I thought I'd cramp up before getting to the bridge, spinning in the black goo, but no fear 'cause everyone was walking. :?
That's the way the race went for the first 2-laps, spin like hell on the sandy sections, walk the 2 greasy "climbs" and hang onto your pants on the downhill, which at time you had to walk. When the guy watching from the sidelines says "that puddle is a foot deep" you had better take heed.
I passed the fella who regularly whipped my butt last year on lap 3 and saw Millet up ahead. He was rather clean so I hung on his tail to observe how he did it. Several cyclocross style bog clearings later and some nice conversation I decided to pass and head on. He was worried about cramping and said he was in second. I hunted down others in front of me not knowing if they were my class or not. I just road my race, not able to go very fast for long periods of time before getting off to run or walk the bike. :x
Come the end I felt great and rolled into the finish 2nd in VET I, MG said 3rd over all. Very, very surprised! But were was the smoked meat?
I did manage to smack a tree with my shoulder, but didn't come off the bike and endo on the last puddle on lap 4. Technically my only crash, yet only a hand dab. :oops:
Thanks Mark and Bob for the props on course.
It looks to be Bob's last Vol. year for Moody so Team Pinnacle may need to step up to the plate to keep the tradition of 3 EFTA's in Sullivan Co. :!:

Smily faces care of my daughter, Marlia. :idea:
 
Alone in the woods, who stands to be King?

Good Job Nathan, Mark, Dana, Ethan and anyone else who dared venture that course on a bike in those conditions.

FYI, running results are now posted: [url]http://www.wnhtrs.com/index.php?nav=25[/url]

Ryan

Trail Run - Even though Randy and I were one-two in the 50-59, I did not run well at this one. At two miles or so, I felt like I wanted to walk, but kept trudging along. Finished in 35:31 (about 4 minutes behind Randy) and came away with less mud than Ryan. Laurie placed third in the Women 40-49 and took home the bacon.

MTB - I did this one just to support the race and do the ride. It was even more fun than the run. In fact, I think I did more running in this one on the second and third laps. Finished fourth out of four Sport Masters. Took more than two hours to clean the bike afterward.