Event: Fair Hill

Name: Brent Kametz

City: Ephrata

State/Province: PA

Country: USA

Age: 29+

Place: 2nd

Category: Expert

CLASS +/or Age group: 30-34

Team: Green Mountain Cyclery

XC Race Bike: TREK 8500

Tires: Bontrager Revolt Super X

Conditions: Twisty, Fast, and Snotty

Email: brent@dejazzd.com

How was your fitness level going into this race?

I wasn't sure but in retrospect it was pretty good. I was surprised.

Were you happy with your position going into the singletrack?

I've gotten used to being pretty far back at the start. I was nonplused with my position. It's a long race and guys are pretty cool about calling their passes and giving way when necessary.

Were you strong from start to finish?

I felt good the whole time. I felt really good the last two miles.

When did you put the hammer down?

On one of the last climbs I accelerated. On the final section of single track I could see Ransom so I really made an effort to ride up to him.

Did you have any unusual problems?

My teammate, Steve Judd, and I were riding together at one point in the race. He's way better than me on the twisty technical stuff, so I let him go in front of me. I'm glad I did. After he went by me I crashed 1.5 times, missed turns completely, and spent more time off of the trail than on it. Scott Henry witnessed some of it. I was a mess and he was very patient with my lack of dexterity.

Were you happy with the way the race was run?

Yes. I don't know the name of the man who ran it, but I do know he is extremely positive and obviously well organized. He is to be commended! The Trail Spinners have ALWAYS put on a great event!

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

People have clearly different perceptions of distances. One guy along the trail yelled that we had 8 miles to go. 7 minutes later, another group told us we had two to go. 7 minutes after that the Green mountain Cyclery cheering section told me there was "about a half mile." Maybe all three groups were right and its my perception that's distorted?

Anything you would like to add?

It was great racing today. The Expert Sen.II class was really competitive. There was always someone in sight either behind or ahead of me. At times there were 4 or 5 of us in a pace line and at the end 2nd through 5th places were all within one minute of each other. Thanks to Green Mtn. Cyclery, my teammates who came out of the woodwork to race (its great to not just be a team of two), and especially to my sister for the leg and back massage Saturday night.