The Vail Lake Challenge Race!

Hey Pickle smoocher whaz up?

I'm sending you a race report from this past weekend. Kim had to work all weekend and I got an e-mail about a weekly race schedule out at Vail Lake resort. I've raced out there a couple times before and had nothing else going on, so I said "what the heck let's go check it out."

I guess one good thing about it is that the races ( X-C ) don't start until 2.00 pm so it's nice and laid back. So I rolled out around noon and found the promoter and talked with him awhile. It turns out he's an expert xc guy out at the Fontucky races and wanted to start a "Grass Roots" (here we go again) program. His name is Robert Herber with Progressive Cycle Association and has put together a very sweet course that is very technical and harder than I was thinking it would be, but very,very fun. He also runs a 12 to 15 minute super d course that starts at 1.00 pm. His parents also help him out with score keeping and course marking and with sign ups.

He also goes out and cuts in new single track sections on a weekly basis to change the course up a little for each race which I think is really cool.I would invite any other Backboners or anyone else that reads the blog to go out and check it out it's a really good time. I also talked with Eddie Arnet with MBA and he had a great time and is going to do a write up on the MBA web site also.

Now on to the race... we only had about 20 guys show up and it's a mass start so everyone goes together. Beginners and sports go one lap (8 miles) and everyone else runs two laps so they put me in the expert class. I actually ran with Eddie and three other guys for half of the first lap before they said bye bye sporty guy, but I still ended up sixth or seventh over all and had a great time. So like I said, I would encourage any and everyone to go out and give this venue a shot and I think they will have a good time.

Well that's it Captn. on to Southridge next week

Randy.

P.S. Anyone can check out the website at racers and chasers . com