{"id":1015,"date":"2010-04-05T08:28:13","date_gmt":"2010-04-05T16:28:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.mxi2000.net\/mudworm\/?p=1015"},"modified":"2010-04-05T08:28:57","modified_gmt":"2010-04-05T16:28:57","slug":"loser-or-sandbagger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mxi2000.net\/mudworm\/2010\/04\/loser-or-sandbagger","title":{"rendered":"Better Be a Loser Than a Sandbagger"},"content":{"rendered":"

The context was Napa Valley Dirt Classic<\/a>.\u00c2\u00a0 I’m always interested in checking out the course of this unique race. The race seems to be well known because quite a few people I know have raced it; yet, it almost has that underground feel to it. Plus, the requirement of “no preride” has added some mystery to it, at least for people like me who have not raced it before. My friend Jeanne wanted to do it. She had raced it a few times before and remembered it being very fun. Erik encouraged me to go (he will go climbing that day instead). That’s when the internal debate started.<\/p>\n

Beginner or Sport?<\/p>\n

I truly believe skill-wise, I don’t belong in Sport category, but I remember how guilty I felt last year at Boggs IV when I won the Womens Solo Beginner class. (I had later found peace when I realized that by the first lap performance, I wasn’t too off for being in the Beginner class. It was only by non-stop pedaling that I managed to go around the course 8 times.) But I know, by signing up Sport, I would have no chance of winning at all,\u00c2\u00a0 zero, nil, zilch! To be a true Sport rider, one should be able to descend confidently and corner smoothly, neither of which I can do. But both Jeanne and Erik think I’m too fast for Beginner class. How can that be? A quick introspection reveals that I’m not a balanced rider. I still have not mastered the descending and cornering skills so I slow down where everyone else is able to make good time, but I’m a decent climber and I have fairly good endurance. What does that make me then?<\/p>\n

To save myself from the agony, I decided not to race. How about I just drive up on the race day, go play at Oat Hill Mine (read: technical climbing and descending) in the morning, and then go ride the course by myself after the race before they tear down the course markers? Erik’s answer, “No, you ride it in the race.”<\/p>\n