24-9 well at least 12 of it

Wow what a weekend, 24-9
is a real experience that everyone should go though. Went up on Friday around 2:00pm and
sat around till about 6:00pm when we went out for a pre-ride with the whole group.
Did about 1/3 of the first lap when big Mark hit the bars with his knee and was in a little pain but decided to keep going, went althea farther, took a quick pit stop with coop as the other kept going, as coop and I start riding though the rock garden we hear a loud thud, I say "Wow someone hit hard" just as we turn a corner to see Mark flat on his face and not moving. What a scary point till he got up, but he looked like he was in lala land so we stayed with him till he got back on his bike and got to a point he could ride back to camp.
Well That put Ricks team one man down till Tim Monty stepped up to ride for Mark witch made Dr. Dave very happy as he got an extra hour between laps.
Rob and Candy Had a good set of laps also, they were the only coed team in the duo group and ended up seventh , a huge high five to Candy who finished two of her many laps in under 3 hours.
The junior team did great with a first place and had a blast doing it,I wish I had all that energy that they do.
Our team John,Mike,Jim and I made one hell of a showing again this year, with those guys making laps in some great time, then it came to me and I took it into the shitter with a 1:27 lap, wrong gear and the legs felt like crap, so when I came back we all had a talk and decided on the next round I would sit it out till the last lap(the night lap). I felt pretty good with this as I do a lot of night riding in fall and feel good on the bike at night. So I set myself up, lights(bars and helmet), Ipod in one ear(to keep my pace) and I was off to the start gate, sat and waited for Mike and the nerves started to run. Mike comes in and I'm off, a little All American Rejects in the ear and I have a good pace going, first 5 miles and I'm riding well, playing cat and mouse with riders, I see a light in front of me and the cat is off to get its mouse. Time after time I kept this up and before I know it I'm at the half way point and some guy is yelling at me and giving me a bottle, its Jim running along side and telling me the team we trying to beat is trying to make up time and coming fast so I have to go.
I get back into the woods and I feel really comfortable and my pace seems to be getting faster rather then slower, before I know it I'm back at the rode crossing and Jim is yelling "Seven Minutes", "YOU NEED TO GO LIKE HELL !!!!!!!!" . Legs felt good so I push a little harder and start to catch more and more riders, come out of the woods to the rode and put the hammer down, four more riders down and I come to the first campers, try to get the time but could not hear what they said, out to the open area next to the start and two more riders down, into the last single track and just trying to go fast as I can and not crash, out of the woods to the last straight away and I get the time 10:01 and time to go like hell, didn't think the legs could go that fast, three more riders in the bag before the shoot and the rides over. A cold beer and I was riding a wave of the best feeling ever, Jim gives me my time and what a shock 1:22, 5 mins. faster then my last lap and it was at night, what a great feeling
At the end of it we moved from forth to third and got onto the podium and got to bring home some hardware.
Thanks to the guys for picking up the slack and letting me redeem myself on the last lap.
SEE YAAA