Yard Sale GAP Race

 by Trish Albert

Race: Yard Sale
Place: Heritage Park, Farmington, GA
Speed: Fast
Time: 45 seconds
Distance: about a quarter of a mile

It was a gorgeous day for a mountain bike race with temperatures in the 60's and sunshine. Several hundred riders were present for the kick off to the GAP series at Heritage Park in Farmington, GA. The venue provides a great place for a mountain bike race with a covered pavilion, a well maintained trail, and several good spectator areas. The course started out with a 1/2 mile very fast sprint down a dirt road, into the singletrack, back onto the dirt road, and finally into the singletrack and down several switchbacks. The singletrack was tight and had many roots and a small creek crossing. The trail then followed a creek for about 1/2 mile before climbing back up on an old logging road. It then dipped back down into singletrack with several small "v" ditches that required the rider to power through and "float" up the other side, lest an endo happen. The course then came back out onto gently climbing doubletrack before dipping briefly back down into the singletrack again. The main obstacle on this part of the trail was a bridge that came on a sharp right hand turn. The trail then went through a field for a very roadie power section followed by two flying doubletrack downhills. The course then headed back up a short, steep climb and into a grassy field for the final sprint down a gravel road. The finish line was under the pavilion. 

Riders do a parade lap around a field on a gravel road. I lined up with the other Super Sport rider--an all ladies field. This was a first for the Super Sport Category. With the starting "GO!" I was off quickly and took the lead. It looked like the parks department had put down new gravel. It was very thick and "washy" under my tires. I had too much speed and tried to slow myself down. Going into the first turn, I knew I was in trouble. The next thing I knew, I was sliding on my left hand side, nearly taking Natasha down. She was able to get around me. I hopped back on the bike and looked down at what I thought were a few scrapes. Instead, I saw a gaping hole in my knee. Within seconds, I could not put any pressure on my knee. The Sport Women began coming around me. I tried to get off to the left, so as not to be in the way. I hate ILT's in spin class, but they came in handy. I unclipped my injured and bleeding right leg and spun with my left leg over to the friend that was with me. Together, we found the paramedics. They cleaned out the wound but suggested that I go to the emergency clinic and get it stitched up. With my friend's help, I got back to my car. 

I ended up in the emergency clinic with several stitches to the deep cut on my right knee. It is very swollen. I imagine that I will be off the bike for a few days. The doctor stitched it with slightly looser stitches, so that I don't pull them out when I get back on the bike. Sometimes life just throws you a curveball. Getting injured is part of racing, and you just have to go with the flow. There is always another race to get revenge at! Why does my mountain bike hate me?

Trish Albert (Boneshakers) before the race.

Trish's knee after her fall but before stitches at the emergency clinic.