[pwrtrainer]

im sure this has been discussed before, but i wanna know what everyones first race was like. mine was in beginner class this year and scary as hell, i get so worked up at the start that i feel like im gonna faint. i raced around 30 other riders and we all went into that first turn after the start like we were trying to win the tour! i was so focused on trying to beat the guy in front of me that the race seemed to only last a second. i spent the night before basically inspecting and reinspecting the bike until i went to bed and barely slept. then ate some honey and more carbs that morning and blasted off to get there 15 min before the start (now i know a warmup is better) registered, got in line, clipped in my right and GO! we were off like that. it was over before i knew it and i was instantly hooked, coughing for at least 20 min after and barely able to speak i made alot of friends that day and we are all gonna kill each other next season in sport class. (i live in AZ too hot to race now). i ended up in 7th place and fought the whole season to end up in 5th overall for the points standing. i never knew how much i would like to try and torture myself why do we do it? no fame, small glory, no $$, but man that feeling of screaming past someone on the finish line with as much steam you can muster cant be duplicated. how bout you all...?

 

[PAmtbiker]

Two years ago

I started racing. Luckily for me I won my first race. It was a Beginner Junior 17-18. I came into the beginning of the final lap in 2nd place, an I was right behind the leader. I beat him up the climb, he dropped me on the descent and I didn't see him again until 3/4 of the way through the lap. He was standing on top of a small rise leaning over his bike. His lockring had come loose and his cassette cogs were moving all over the place. So I was home free. I finished 3 sec ahead of my friend who I was there with, and the other guy took third. With a broken bike. I haven't stopped since. I race sport now and am starting to do some 6hr races. It's soo much fun.

 

[chucke]

On my first race I left the starting gate like an idiot. I did not leave very fast at all. I was so surprised that everybody was sprinting out of the gate. I was used to riding not too hard until I was on the bike for 15 minutes or so. Well, anyway I ending up taking 7th out of 32, so I caught most of the people that took off ahead of me.

 

[*rt*]

raced for the 1st time at the Fruita Fat Tire Festival in 1999. the beginner course was 1 lap on a 15 mile loop. prior to that i doubt i'd ever ridden 15 consecutive miles without stopping. i don't remember if i was nervous on the starting line but i probably was. i started somewhere mid-pack and finished 2nd. to be honest i don't really remember much between the start and the finish except making it over a small rock pile without crashing (psyched!), falling over in slow motion in front of a course marshal while climbing a short steep hill (doh), and suffering along the long straightaway fenceline back to the start/finish. oh, and as i suffered down the fenceline i think i passed someone and could see the 1st place person but could never catch her.

i won a coffee mug and some socks and i guess i had a good time since i've kept going back for more since then.

rt

 

[extrmtao]

My first race last year

I raced my first race last year. I entered sport. I put it balls to the wall right off the bat and was alone until the finish. My one and only First place. . .

 

[ChrisJ]

I did my first race in March of this year finished third. Done 3 more since then all top 5 finishes 2 of them where a first and second place. I'm first in points this year with 3 races left in the series.

 

[rkj__]

My first race was more of an "event" It was computer timed, but there was riders from every skill level there, from a few expert racers, to newbies. I don't remember being really nervous. I had more of a "cool, bike ride." I really liked it and have done the event every year since, including numerous other races, some more serious than others.The car is red in the dirt. Who cares about the sun shine in the house.

 

[douglas]

jesus, podiums in your 1st race.......it took me forever to get on a podium

the thing i remember abput my 1st race was as i went to pass someone maybe 100 ft before the finish, he took my line pushing me off the trail, I crashed hard doing 15 plus in front of everyone!!

ps: the dude apologized later

 

[DK1]

I did my first race 2 years ago in the beginner class at the season finale of the Winter Park series. I took off like I was on crack and opened up a big gap before the base of the first monster climb. Unfortunately, everyone caught back up to me on this climb since I ran into all of the groups that started before us. I was too timid to pass, since I didn't really know the etiquette and people just started flying by me. I quickly learned that you just have to be agressive and I managed to get back into second within my group before the top of the climb (at the time I had no idea if there were more from my group in front of me). About 2/3 of the way through the racae, I caught the one guy that I knew was in my group and never saw him after I dropped him. I finished the race thinking that I might have broken top three, but was really unsure. When they posted the results, there I was in 1st place. It blew me away! I didn't race the next season because of work, but I'm at it again this year in Sport. It's amazing how painful it is when you're doing it, but you're always thinking about doing it again the next day.

 

[Tracerboy]

You are all so full of sh!t. Did anyone not place top 3 in their first race?

 

[carsonwick]

DFL my first. 129 my time, 103 winning time.

CW

 

[alphajaguars]

My first race was 2 years ago, on my local loop that I ride a lot.

I came in 2nd to last place.

My next race was last year, same course. I came in 9th out of 14.

I just raced my 3rd race this last weekend - different course, but still a local ride. Once again, I came in 9th place.

2 top ten finishes in a row!!!























Did I mention there were only 9 racers in my class

I do it for the fun - I have not made, probably will never make, the commitment to training to actually be competetive. It is still a blast. Such a different experience from just riding the trail. My lap time are pretty consistant between riding the courses and racing them, but having other people out there just makes my heart pound that much more.

 

[HOser]

I got one for you, Sedated. I just finished my first race, the Firecracker 50 in Breckenridge, CO. I finished 23 out of 26 in my class, nowhere near the podium, in fact the awards were starting as I crossed the finish line. But, it was an endurance event, 50 miles with 11,000 ft. of climbing, my goal was to finish and not be last, which I did.

I was in the Sport class, I could have done Beginner and placed much higher, but the Beginner course was shorter, I wanted to experience the brutality of the full course. We've got a lot of good riders in these parts, I think it will take a while for me place in the top 3 in Sport.

 

[4212darren]

I raced for the first time last fall when I caught the last race of the season. I'd done all my riding alone and was clueless as to what was about to happen. I got some tips from a guy in my class(+40 sport) on how to stay out of the way. I didn't think I was gonna finish at first as I was unprepared for the extremely hard ride and the look on my wifes face at the feed zone said I was looking bad, only 4 more laps! I was DFL by about a half hour.
That would have been alot more fun if I could have kept up I thought so I rode like a madman for the next 2 months and then did some winter training with a bike club.

I raced that same course at the end of June and fluked a First place finish which also put me in 1st overall for a couple of weeks. I lost badly at the next race which put me in second overall with 2 races left. It's a long shot but I could win the series if the #1 guy has some more bad luck. I can't hardly believe that I'm willing to suffer enough to compete, when I used to be fat and lazy. Where'd that come from?

 

[Poncharelli]

Here's all my race finishes. First race was in sport class and been there ever since. I paid my freakin dues and I'm pretty damn stubborn. I'm going to be good at MTBing if it kills me!!!

2003, Sport Class 30-39:
§ 1st race: 21/34
§ 2nd race: 19/31
§ 3rd race: 17/27
§ 4th race: 14/18

2004, Sport Class 30-39
§ 5th race: 15/24

2005, Sport Class 30-39
§ 6th race: 14/35
§ 7th race: 10/26
§ 8th race: 18/29
§ 9th race: 10/24
§ 10th race: 8/21

2006, Sport Class 30-39
§ 11th: 2nd /30 (first podium)
§ 12th: 4th/25 (second podium)
§ 13th: 9th/21 (damn!!!!)

Going to try again this weekend. See how it goes.

From what I've read on this forum, GlenzX probably has the longest list of races before getting on a podium.

 

[serious]

My first race (this spring) was going reasonably well untill I flipped myself and my bike when I hit a sandy area at relatively high speed. I took me almost 13 minutes to fix the back brake which siezed my back wheel, after which I was firmly in last place. Fortunately I still had 2 loops to do so I was able to catch a few people. Came in 15/20 people (citizen class doing the same course as sport class).

My second race was a better experience. I came in 30/38 people (Sport Class 40-44). I was actually quite proud of just finishing this race as it was a relatively tough, technical course with tons of DNFs (Canada Cup national race series).

These races were quite hard for me, as I do them on my rigid SS bike.

 

[stepchild]

I had owned my bike for about a year and a half when I first raced (June, this year). I had only really been riding it seriously for about three months (for the other time I probably did about 2 rides a month during nice weather). My first race was a non technical hill climb and I was thrilled with the outcome! My second race was short track - yikes! MUCH different story...fun but super hard - I finally biked as hard as I run but I didn't finish near where I would in a running race.

 

[merlin]

My first race was 4.5 years. I did the Cool MTB race sport 40-49 class. I can honestly say I've never been that nervous in my life. I did not sleep well for days before the race and my stomach had a " strong reaction" to the pre race jitters as well I ended finsihing mid pack, 2 years later I won it! That was my last race in sport class. 50 races later I harldy get nervous, and I enjoy it more:thumbsup: Now off to the MTB National Championship race on Saturday

 

[cocavaak]

My first race was either Mammoth or Crested Butte in '87. At Mammoth we started out with a nice climb up half of the mountain. I started out at a moderate pace and was passing people near the top of the climb. I lost it in some loose dirt on the descent. I was struck by the comraderie as people would ask if I was OK as they came flying by! I ended up around 7th. In Crested Butte I raced Beginner again in the XC race. I knew the trail fairly well. Going through one rocky stretch I was bouncing around so much my eyes couldn't focus. But at least I knew where the trail went so I pointed in that direction. On the home stretch out on a dirt road I cruised around a curve and did a completely unexpected, perfect two-wheel drift. I thought: How cool - how did I do that!?! I finished first and won a Patagonia vest. These days I just do the Leadville 100 and finish back in the pack. I'm doing it on a 29er next year!

 

[DK1]

Sedated says "You are all so full of sh!t. Did anyone not place top 3 in their first race?"

Sedated, I can't speak for anyone else, but I doubt seriously that anyone's going to lie about their first race results. Sounds like maybe you've done a little stretching of the truth in the past and you're feeling a little self concious...:nono:

To prove my innocence and the validity of my story, here are my official results from my first race.
http://www.epicsingletrack.com/Results2004/Race6/M4D2.html