It took some doing, but thanks to the help ofa RBR /FB "friend", I got into the Master's 3/4 race. Had to get up at 5:45 am, but this race is worth losing sleep over. Beautiful cool fall morning, temps in the high 30's, climbing as I drove. By the time I hit DC it was 50ish. Didn't get as good a warmup as i would have liked but felt OK. Didn't hurry to the start; got to pre-ride a big section of the course. Similar to before but with some changes. I had rider #725 which meant I started DFL. Can't complain since I didn't even expect to get in. Was chatting with some riders an dbefore you knew it, the race had started; so much for the hole shot. Avoided 3? crashes in the start and started picking my way through the field. The course was dry but the ground was soft so i was glad I used my Fangos, which i had dialed in just right. Felt really good and had 2 guys in my sight with 2 laps to go. Got past 1 with 2 to go and aimed for the next. Had guys cheering at the last set of barriers before the finish line (saw 2 other HUPsters there in the 4 race-might have been on eof them) and despite bobbling the off-camber U-turn on the hill on the next to last lap and dropping my chain on the last lap, I passed the final guy and stayed in front while passing 1 more guy on the finish straight. 79th out of 93. Felt like I passed more, but still my best race of the year. Thanks to Joe Mallis for the foto.
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