Event: Blue Marsh

Name: Karen Henry

City: Elizabethtown

State/Province: PA

Country: USA

Age: 36

Place: 1st

Category: Expert

CLASS +/or Age group: Vet Women

Team: Team Harrisburg

XC Race Bike: Merlin Extra Fat

Tires: Not sure, but they were narrow.

Conditions: Would muddy be an understatement?

Click here for Karen's Secret Formula

How was your fitness level going into this race?

I guess it was O.K. I think Dave and I spent most of the week trying to recover from Michaux.

Were you happy with your position going into the singletrack?

Yes. I was third or fourth going into the mudtracks.

Were you strong from start to finish?

I felt pretty good most of the race.

When did you put the hammer down?

I don't think I ever "put the hammer down". I would have to say that my husband made a good tire selection for the conditions, which I think helped me tremendously.

Did you have any unusual problems?

Well...other than the mud, the lack of shifting, the extra ten pounds of mud hanging off my bike and the mega hike-a-bike climb...no, no problems at all.

Were you happy with the way the race was run?

Yes. Once again, I thought the race was very well run.

Did you have any interesting experiences during your race (exchanges with competitors/spectators)?

The race was an interesting experience in and of itself.

Anything you would like to add?

Yes...I'm not sure of who all the racers were that I was riding with, but they were a sure a nice group of people! Thanks again to my husband and teammates for their support and encouragement--you're all great!