Pine Ridge Enduro

After a couple "not so good" races, I was hoping my luck would turn around for Round 5 of the Rocky Mountain Enduro Circuit. I got lost on course at the National Enduro in Texas, and then a week later I had a decent ride in Bennett, CO, only to have it all wasted by a scoring mistake. The Pine Ridge Enduro is always the type of race where you can only expect the unexpected. so we made the drive up north with our fingers crossed.

Chadron, Nebraska is home to some of the best trails I've ever ridden. It's also prone to some of the nastiest weather I've suffered through! Some years it's pouring rain, sometimes we're looking for the trail that's buried under 6 inches of snow, and some years it's beautiful, perfect springtime weather. Aside from some strong, cold wind, this year offered some of the best trail conditions we've had.

This event is one of only two timekeeping races left on our schedule, which means I had to dust off my ICO enduro computer and try to remember the little rules, tricks, and risks associated with the format. It's always a relief to finally hit the trail and see your nice display telling you to speed up or slow down. After an extended road ride out to the trails, we were finally able twist some throttle and enjoy the awesome mountain trails.

Unfortunately, I think my mind was too focused on how much fun I was having, and not enough on how to ride a timekeeping enduro. I dropped points on every check before the first gas, either by not riding "hot" enough leading into the trail sections, or by riding too early and entering checks before I was supposed to. Luckily, the section between first and second gas went very well, and I didn't drop any points for the next three checks.

The last loop was for A and B riders only, and was super technical and fun. I started the section right on time and was hoping to finish off the day strong. I rode smart and consistent, and at the next check I came through with a score of 8 mins and 0 seconds. I was frustrated, because had I been 1 second faster, my score would be a full point lower. There was one remaining check, so I couldn't dwell on my bad luck too long. Aside from a couple small mistakes, the last section was really fun and I felt pretty good on the bike.

When we left, I think I was sitting in 9th overall for the day. I was happy to get a good overall finish after the bad luck at the previous two races, but I'm still waiting for a race where everything clicks and I finish where I think I'm truly capable of finishing. Stay tuned... I have a good feeling that day will be coming soon!