The 4th Annual Schenectady 6hr Mountain Bike Race was held this past Sunday at the Schenectady Central Park Nature Trails. The race course is ~5.6 miles of mostly single-track trails.

This year I raced as a duo team with my friend Phill. The day started with rain. When I got to the race, it was still rain until about an hour before start time. We set up the EZ-Up canopyin out pit area and decided that Phill would take the start. It turned out to be a great decision…5 minutes after the start, my rear tire went flat. After the removal of a thorn and a quick tube change, I was ready and waiting for my turn. Riding as a duo, I knew that I could ride all out for a 45-50 minute lap. I guess I did go all out, I came in with a 41 minute lap time. I never expected that and didn’t expect to repeat that time either. We alternated every other lap and after lap 5, four hours into the race, Phill was whooped. That was also when the rain started again. Actually, it was a downpour. That next lap was an interesting ride. 20 minutes later, when the sun came out, it finally stayed out for the rest of the day. I finished for us riding the last three laps. I did have to pace myself a bit, but I managed the last three laps in ~2:15:30 and averaged ~0:44:15 per lap for my 5 laps. We finished in 5th place with 8 laps in a time of 6:23:00. Overall I’m very pleased with my riding for the day. This race was a good test for my fitness heading into the summer.

A huge thanks goes out to both Motor Tabs and Fluid Recovery Drink for keeping me going all day.