OVCX 4 the Gun Club

This weekend was the 4th stop of the OVCX tour in Cincinasty at the famed Gun Club venue. The race is held at a well, gun club on the N/E side of Cinci. I assume a gun club is where older rich guys go to shoot guns. I assume they're rich 'cause poor people don't need to go to no club to shoot dem guns. The place it littered w/ clay pigeons everywhere which makes it cool.
The weather was calling for 60% chance of T-storms all day. It stayed dry for most of the day... that is until abut 3minutes before our start.

this is right about when it started to rain

I had ridden a few laps on intermediate tires prior to my race and really liked the course. This place is considered the "mountain bikey" course of the series. Plus it has some gradual climbing and both of those things suit me pretty well.

I tend to do well in wet conditions also. That's not to say I like it raining, in fact being wet and cold and muddy kind of sucks, but I tend to race well in it, so whatever. Point is: several cards were in place for this to be a good race for me.

And it was! I felt great and rode well. Just prior to starting I made the call to switch over to mud tires and I was glad I did. The course conditions were changing about ever 2 laps due to the rain/no rain/sun coming out scenario. That made things difficult because lines were changing nearly every time you went through a section. But that's racing: you have to adapt. But for a good portion of our race it was very slick.  

A few of the OVCX heavy hitters were out in CO at the USGP race, so the field wasn't as "top heavy" as it usually is. Due to this I was riding inside the top 10 for most of the race.

I rode hard and finished 12th. I was happy with my race. I really started feeling the pain with three laps to go, but I dug and kept it going. I can really fool myself when I see the "3 to go" number. I think to myself, 'well, that's almost 2 to go, which is one away from 1 to go.' Which is all true, but still like 20-25min of all-out racing.

But I got through it and was pleased w/ myself.

I also got on the 35+ podium again! Rob Kendall is getting comfy on that middle step, but I'm trying to make my self more than an occasional visitor here.

This weekend is the Hilly 100 tour AND stop #5 of the OVCX series here in B-town, Bloomingcross. So the weekend is basically the busiest of my life. But it's going to be great fun and (so far...) the weather is looking perfect. Should be awesome! See you on the other side!!