Tookie Takes Bronze; The Year In Review

Alright, it's official. I placed third overall in the OMBC series this year in my class. Heading into the championship race I was three points ahead of third place. After racing 20 miles I finished third agian, but the time gap between second and third was too much and I lost second place overall by ONE point. When they say every point counts it does, and the entire season for me was all about fighting for that one point.

My first race this year was in the middle of a monsoon that dropped 5" of rain in a 24 hour period, and a wreck late in the race put me out for the next three weeks with lower back pain. After missing the next two races in the OMBC series, I got back on track with a couple of podium spots and heat stroke just to remind me how hot this summer was here in the East. By mid summer things were getting better with another third place finish to put me in the top five in the series, but as you know I pulled a "Bob" and showed up one hour late to the Alum creek race (Didn't check the website for early start time, because all the other races in the series started at 1:00, why because the slower riders would slow down the lap times of pro/expert riders on the short 6 mile loop).
I got the monkey off my back this year at the Lake Hope race with a second place finish, but clipping a tree in the first mile of that race messed my shoulder up for the next two weeks. Soon the season was drawing to an end and I needed to pick up another race for the NO SHOW at Alum Creek.
After spending the next couple of days with Captn Chris in Columbus, I went to Dillion Sate Park recharged and ready to race a tough rocky and rooty 18 miles, after finishing 1st at Dillion it put me in the top three in my class for the overall series.
By this time of the season everything was looking great. I was getting ready to go on a short vacation, come back and race a 12 hour solo in WV just to keep the legs loose for the championship in a few weeks.
Then as we all know from being mountain bikers... shit happens and life continues in multiple directions. So in that short period of time before the championship race the rear end on my Tomac cracks, and I start on a two week remodel of a new home I'll be moving into the week of the championship race. Fun times!!!! Fun times!!!!!!
Yet, Capt incredible Chris gets the Tomac put back together the day before the race, and in the three week period I had been on my crossbike maybe four times so lining up at the series championship with a 3 point lead over third place it was time to race, not for me, but for all the people that helped keep my season rolling along.
So I want to say thanks to Capt Chris (The Man that was the glue of my 2010 season), thanks to James at Sigma (Don't worry man I'm going to run the hell out of the night lights in some 24hr.races next year), thanks to Jim and Matt at Hydrapack, Ken at Xpedo (Third year on Ti pedals now!!! that a stress test of product), thanks to Jim at Kenda, Thanks to the guys at Ryder sun glasses (Sorry I lost my glasses, I was also bit by a dog that day and had to bush whack though 2 miles of thorns to find my way back, so I think I know where the glasses are, I'm just not ready to go back for them), thanks to the guys a KMC (This is the first season I didn't break a chain durning a race), Thanks to Pete at Amino Vital (I wish you the very best, and I'm glad I had the chance to hang out with you guys), and Thanks to Joel at Tomac (The speed and effort you put into getting a replacement rear end, you think I was JOHN TOMAC, thanks again). Well its starting to turn cold here and my Thanksgiving day ride will soon be here and we start getting ready for next season.





Talk later
Jeff "Tookie" Williams