Palmer "Jungle" Cross

Race #3 of the Tobacco Valley/Accelerated Cure Series found Billy and I rolling into the parking of the Palmer High School nice and early. Complete 180 from last years downpour and mud-it was sunny and dry. It was pretty much the classic Palmer course. Fast start,on pavement this year, followed by a hard left into some rooty single track(roots are going to be a reoccurring theme in this post). Next up is a big section in a field with some pretty long wet, power sucking, grass turns. Then it is back into the woods for a short run up followed by a longer run up, before a 3 pack of low barriers in a field. Then it's back into some truly teeth rattling root sections. Be prepared to have your bike tossed around as you fail to find a clean line through this section. Last on the menu is a another quick trip into the woods, a wood bridge(big upgrade from the pallets that were spanning this stream in years past), and a long run up.
The roots were everywhere and amazing. They seemed to just reach up out of the ground like zombies trying to knock you of course.
Conditions were hot and dry. Dudes started staging 20 minutes before the start. 20 minutes? Over achievers? We staged a few rows back and sweated in out til start. The war for the hole shot was not as sketchy as past years even though a guy laid down right in front of me. Same as last weekend, Billy came past me early and I would only see him occasionally when he would drop his chain and then blast past me.
The heat and the roots made for a tough day even if this race finished up well below 40 minutes. I am not begging for more suffering, but a 40 minute race should be a lot closer to 40 minutes. I let myself get stuck in traffic too much and need to get more aggressive about passing. Could have used any kind of liquid hand up on the last lap.
Billy held on for 21st nursing a front flat through the last lap and I came in at 28th. Turns out Billy's issue was more than a flat, he dented the life out of his front rim. So even after the race the roots continued to make an impression.
No more races til Quad Cross on 09.12. Time to train.