Fat bike racing

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Another Fat Bike race coming up tonight. This one at the Tennessee Pass Nordic Center - on the Nordic trails below Ski Cooper. It sounds like we will be using some of the singletrack snowshoe trails as well, so I'm really looking forward to another awesome night of racing. And that's what it needs to be this time - racing. Focused pedaling, keeping the bike upright and moving forward. Being aggressive on the descents, but intelligent about it. At Copper, it was my first time ever riding in those conditions. Outside of the pre-ride, I had no clue what to expect  when it came to fat bike racing in the snow. It showed in my riding. I was spending almost as much time in the snow as I was pedaling on top of it! I'd wanted to in the race - a factor in the top three, but my crash right at the start (among all the others) precludes that. So I'd turned my attention to having fun and gaining experience. Still had a decent race, but was never a factor. This time, I need do what I can to avoid some of the stupider crashes so I can be a factor. It's still going to be fun and exiting - but it's also a race.

I don't think we will have a chance to pre ride much of tonight's course - it's one big loop instead of two smaller ones at Copper. So it will be interesting once we start racing - without really knowing where the course goes in the Nordic Center. I've never cross country skies there, so I don't even have that to draw on! All I know is there is this big open (but not flat) valley in the middle of the course. But it's a descent to get there and a climb to get out. So I'll need to be hyper aware of trail conditions and use the clues from guys around me and where they are riding. Try to stay in the packed trail and out of the chunder...

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