Hanson Hills

Contrary to what my Facebook status may have indicated, I am not a fan of the Hansons. MmmBop is a terrible song. But I DO like Hanson Hills, the trail in Grayling at which we raced on Sunday!

We had been looking forward to this race for a long time, because we've ridden the trail before and had a wonderful time. The initial plan was to camp on-site Saturday night, with an easy pre-ride that day, and hang out with the rest of the On 2 Wheels team. Well, the weather forecast got worse and worse, so we made the call on Saturday morning to forego camping and just drive up on Sunday morning. If we were going to have to race in the rain (which looking like a distinct possibility) then I did NOT want to spend the night before shiverring in a tent.

As it turns out, the rain came Saturday night but was gone by Sunday morning. It was still cold when we got there - probably 45 degrees by the time we raced - but it only sprinkled a little bit once I finished. The trail was damp but not slimey, though it's a good thing it was mostly climbing and non-technical riding, because my tires packed up pretty good within the first few miles. I kept thinking they looked like chocolate donuts...sometimes with sugar on them.

When all was said and done, it was a decent race for the DeYoungs and a pretty good day for the team. Nichole and I were the only racers in our category, so out one-two standard finish is still in place. This was definitely a course that played to her strengths, with lots of climbing: she finished the 21 miles in under two hours. It took me almost two and a half. I didn't really have a goal, and there were so few people on the course that I couldn't get any adrenaline flowing. To me, it felt more like a ride than a race, but I would definitely do it again.

Mitch came in fourth and was a little disappointed in his ride. He was feeling strong after a week of good riding, but that was one of the problems: he rode a ton, too late in the week. He also had a loose rear cassette, which made shifting difficult. The outcome of this ride has played a big part in his decision to ride the Boyne Marathon in July, a race he wasn't sure he wanted to do again. I think he's now chomping at the bit to prove his strength, and Boyne is definitely a venue that will test him.

The big bummer, though, is that Jake hurt his knee and had to call it quits after his first lap. Here's hoping he heals up soon!