Ocala, The big VIRGIN experience September 23-24 Alright...I pre-registered by mail (cheaper that way) made the hike down301 (speed trap alley) and got to Hardrock MTB Park. Signed a release form,paid 3 bucks park fee, and searched for a spot to park it. Made a walk overto the registration counter and got all my race stuff. Now the morning pre-race bike ritual. Check bike for anything out ofthe ordinary. Lube chain, fill Camelback, put on shoes, put on helmet, puton gloves, and start pedaling around to warm up. Got the group togetherand started making our way for the practice lap. Since this was my firsttime out there to actually ride the course, I was juiced...and burned out.*grin* But we attacked some pretty steep hills and made it to the finishline.  I guess the real funny part about it was that the First Timers classonly goes for one lap (on this particular course). And now after ridingonly one lap, and still breathing, I found myself kinda humbled and feelinway outta shape. I did feel pretty proud of myself though 'cause I feltpretty confident on some of the more technical parts of the course and havenoticed other people having difficulty getting through those parts. Oh well...maybeone day I'll get the lungs, eh? So it's now time to ride!!! Get on the line with all the other FirstTimers and we're ready for the horn to blow and just go out gonzo. Thisline was HUGE! Think there were 52 riders on this line. The start for mewasn't too bad. I didn't feel as nervous as I thought I would. Didn't feellike I needed to go to the bathroom or anything before the horn went offeither. Hehe...But it blew, and I rode. Felt like I was riding with a littlefamily going through the course. There was a group of us that were all kindariding at the same pace. But I cheered, I bucked and I finally made it thruthe finish line screaming, "I finished!" Boy was I proud. At thefinish I found that Mike placed first in his race. We all cheered and wherehaving a GREAT TIME. I ended up finishing in the 50 percentile.  Oh yeah, by the way...I neglected to mention it was MUDDY on severalsections. We are talking major gunk-o on the bikes and us. So naturallyat the finish you would want to clean up. So I make my way to the restrooms.While I'm standing there taking off all my gear and gabbin with someoneelse, I take a step and get this...I step into a 6" PVC pipe in theground. My foot collapses into the hole and ummmm, leaves a gash in my shin.Nice huh? Well I look down there and start thinkin, "Hmm, that's deep,ummm, that's real deep. Uhh, MEDIC!" I make my way over to the clubhouseand ask for the EMT. Got directions around the corner and they washed itout. One of the EMT's starts sayin, "Hmmm, looks like you're gonnaneed sutures(sp?) on that one." Now I'm thinkin, " Sutures...uhhh,stitches?" Okay folks, this is from the kid who has never had stitchesbefore. Needless to say I was thrilled to hear that. But they wrapped it up and I went off to clean-up again only to have it wrapped another time.I ended up walking on it all day 'till after the results got out and theawards were distributed. By the time I got home, I needed to make it tomy parents 25th Anniversary shin-dig, and I finally got outta there at 9:00PM. I then made my way to a local clinic, ended up with a tetanous shot,and my little cut at first wasn't very small anymore. Okay no more, discriptionsof my little cut. The doc had it sewed up and I was out the door feelinlike a dweeb. Imagine that, I manage to survive all the perils of the race,but end up at the end with something like this. But I was still hooked. Unfortunately, per advice from many...I waved the next race in Jacksonville(figures it'd be my home town) and waited to heal more. Click here to go back to my home page. ©2005, Perry C. Palacio / perry@perry-palacio.net