My return to competition

[Randy]

This weekend I did my first race in nearly a year. In all, it went pretty well. The course was one of the more technical ones that I have raced, and at an elevation of 7,000 feet. We did seven laps and should have done more but I had some vision issues. I have a set of Oakley sunglasses that have intgerchangeable lenses: one in medium gray and the other in yellow. These lenses were specially modified by neuro-opthalmologist to reduce double-vision. I only had the gray lenses.

The course had several trails in deep cover where the contrast from light to dark made a lighter set of lenses more practical a choice. After my second lap, I decided to use Dan's yellow lenses. This reduced my ability to discriminate well between objects based on distance. I basically rode the lap only being able to see clearly for about 15 feet without squinting.

The course had about 1,300 feet of elevation gain per lap. The first three miles were a bear with loose, steep climbs. The remaining miles were filled with off-camber rutted trails, switchbacks, rock gardens, trees and shrubs that would reach out and grab you if you were not careful.

There were several riders who crashed during the race. While I did not have my best event, it gave me hope. And, if you are planning to donate in support of my race at the Worlds, the safe bet is to pledge the laps. At this time, maybe the six lap prediction is too optimistic. But, you never know!

Randy