Greenbriar Mtb Race Report

What was I thinking!?! Greenbriar on a single speed? 735 feet of climbing per lap? Here it is straight from the website:

"The race course is 5 miles (8 km) long, with 735 feet of climbing each lap. Trails are heavily wooded, approximately 60% old narrow double track, 40% single track, with the start/finish alongside a beautiful lake. Climbs are moderate, except for one steep climb, and are typically loose and rocky. 80-90% of the trails are well drained and rocky and remain fairly solid in wet conditions, although some mud may be encountered on the newest single track and stream crossings during wet weather. Dry weather brings fast, rocky trails."

If I had read this before the race no way would I have ridden the single. I should have gotten a clue when I went to register and they told me I was the only one in the female ss category. Surely, I said, others would show up. They just laughed at me and said the "others" were too smart to ride a ss at Greenbriar. I have never ridden Greenbriar and was totally misled by Sonja that I would be fine. Oh well, I can't complain. I had the absolute best time out there and all I had to do was FINISH and be in the $$$. DCVeloBella has a fine description of the course and I will just add that there were 2 significant climbs, both of which I had to walk. The rock gardens were really bad especially so because I am used to riding my squishy Santa Cruz and not a hardtail. Today I feel as if I had a total body workout. One advantage to the ss was clearly the fact that I did not have to worry about shifting issues with all the mud.

And now for some pics...

Normally I am smiling in my mtb race pictures. Not so in this one.
Photo courtesy of j|d Galleries.

Podium shot. I borrowed Betsy's dog.

The women's pro podium. The dog was a fixture on the podium yesterday.

Spaznogle!