AMA NATIONAL HARE SCRAMBLES
Round 1 - Hollister Hills - February 10, 2007

My first Hare Scramble!
That was a hoot! What is it about endurace races that I've been enjoying so much recently?

Quick rambling notes:

• Found out about it at the last minute and spent a couple days scrambling to get a bike running and myself out there in time for registration.
• Weather predictions included intense rain and thunder about race time which had me nervous about how technical the course could have been - I dunno anything about hillclimbs, steep descents or mudholes.
• Registration was smooth, professional and relatively fast
• The race started a couple of hours late
• Engines off start, launched by rows with one minute intervals, follow the trail markers and get the bar code they stuck onto the side of your helmet scanned about every 5 miles.
• Cheating was rampant and blantant - people were cutting huge chunks out of the course and as time went on I began to imagine I was the only one not cheating.
• The course was entertaining but, not too technical - the worst of it wasn't any more challenging than the Troll Trail. I did fall down about 8 times though. ...Hey, it was raining!
• Tear off's are awesome!
• Everyone was super nice and the staff/crew were amazing
• I saved waaaaaay too much. Everyone was saying, "Pace yourself it's a two and a half hour race" or "No more than 80%" so, I backed off but I had alot left by the end. So much so, that Kristine and I talked about entering a second race and doing it again but, she'd already sat out in the rain for hours crewing for us, not to mention slopping all of our gear up and down those steep hills in the deep sticky mud on foot. Asking her to do it all again would've been too mean.
• OMFG, it was soooo much fun!!!!!! I think I'm hooked.
• I might do VET B on Sunday next time - it's a longer race and probably has less sandbaggers.

• http://home.ama-cycle.org/raceresults/typeindex.asp?s=14&year=2007
• http://www.offroadrider.com/hollisternational/
• http://www.ama-d36.org/cgi-bin/cc_schedule.cgi
• http://www.specialtestvideos.com