Marshall! Marshall! I won a Cowbell!

was probably the last thing Marshall wanted to hear after sweating for 6:30:51.861 as my support at the 2009 Cowbell Challenge Marathon. This race was HOT! Literally, with the heat index around 115 degrees. I couldn't have finished this race without him. Luckily for me I was able to talk him into sticking to the plan and going with me on Friday night (he almost bailed...fucker). The 2009 Cowbell Challenge Marathon started with a 6 mile road ride from the center of Davidson, NC to the course at Fisher Farm Park. Though I thought it was awesome that many local families were out cheering us on with Cowbell's of their own, I was thinking..."they must really hate us silly single speeders to make us ride on this silly road for six miles." I do understand though that it was because the community wanted to be involved. From the road, we hit the greenway and the first big climb. When we hit the climb the geared riders that had just passed me immediately got off of their bikes. Wooo Hooo! "Rider" I don't think I saw many of those folks again. It was really awesome to get to the first climb and be able to ride it specially when the gearys were walkin'. I rode every climb every lap (6) thanks to my 33x20 Kick-Ass gearing. The single track was really great! Super twisty technical with some skinnys and whoopdeedoos as well as a few steep, muddy down into muddy uphill, slide, got it's! A few wooden bridges, rock gardens, and really techy spots. Then there were the really hot field spins and the even hotter than hell Kudzu climb. That kudzu climb lasted about 20 seconds but I swear it was 10 degrees hotter and really put the hurting on at the end of every lap.

Luckily, Bruce Dickman was pouring bottles of ice water on the competitors as they passed the timing tent. Thanks again Bruce! Marshall was also there at my rescue each lap with fresh bottles of energy with ice and two fresh ice bottles for my back pockets to keep me cool. So glad he didn't really bail. 

With Marshall as my pit crew, I was able to finish all 54 miles of the race when many of the other racers were quitting. I finished first in the Women's SS category with a time that would have placed me 4th in the Men's SS category. Come on! I have to be proud of that! Anyway, back to the Cowbell... I was super stoked when I was standing on the podium in first place with

 Sherry George in second and they handed me a Cowbell (a few other things as well). What a great prize! I guess you have to really know me to understand my excitement...I rung it proudly for the rest of the weekend cheering on the other competitors when I wasn't racing. 

I raced my bicycle on Sunday too in the 2009 Kenda Cup East Cowbell Summer Solstice Cross Country race. It wasn't as hot as Saturday, but with 54 miles in the day before... two laps were way better than 3 which Marshall and the Pro class raced. I placed 1st in the Women's class and this time placed 3rd in the Mens. 

It's so fun to toe the line with a bunch of silly single speeders...I fit right in. We'll that's it for the weekend, listen for me ringing my new Cowbell at an event near you. If I'm not sweating right along with you, of course.