The first race of the Grasshopper series was this last Saturday. It was a perfect day for the race, a little drizzle, a little rain, and plenty of good energy. The first 5 or 6 miles of the race is supposed to be neutral, meaning that nobody should be attacking. It was pretty interesting heading down Bohemian Hwy. in the rain. For the most part, nobody’s brakes were working, so everyone was a little nervous about having to slow down in a hurry. At one point a couple of riders went down aobut 10 feet in front of me. I decided that it would not be good to slow down with half the pack behind me, so I swerved around them. As I looked back over me shoulder, there was a tiny bit of chaos as other riders weren’t so lucky. Anyway, after a quick pee break outside of Duncan’s Mills, the race started moving a little faster. Things really don’t start until you hit Old Duncan Road, which is a sweet old dirt road (mud at this time of year). From there you make your way over to Old Cazadero Road. You climb up on pavement, but then you descend on dirt (mud), a quick creek crossing at the bottom, and then you climb back up on dirt (mud). After heading through Cazadero, you head out to Willow Creek road which is a dirt climb that goes up 1200 feet in about 5 miles. A great way to end the race. I felt great the entire time and was very pleased with the experience. I am looking forward to the next race in a couple of weeks.