Most of April was spent trying to figure out what sections I was going to set for the NMTA event which was the weekend after this one. Curtis and I even ended up setting one of the sections on Sunday when we had finished the MWVTA event.
I didn’t take any pictures during these events and I really should have! Esp, of all the bruises, I ended up with…. MWVTA was my first try at moving up to the next class for a Trials event. Oh the horror, I rode the Modern B class both days. That was a weekend of firsts. My first triple digit score in a trials event. It was also the first time I looked a at least 6 sections and said “Nope, no way can I ride that!” but like the fool I am, I tried to ride them anyway. Which should explain all the bruises.
I really enjoy the potlucks that this club has on Sat evenings. For this event I made large soft pretzels.
I was very lucky for the MWVTA to be placed with a group that had a couple of very talented, long time riders that helped me through all the sections. Steve, Rich, and Curtis took turns spotting me when I tried to ride some of the larger ups in the sections. There was only one section on Sunday that I need a spot for all three attempts at it. I didn’t make it up until the 3rd try. All of the others I made it up on the first or second try. Might not have bee pretty, but I did it!!! There were what I refer to as dirty 3s or 5s that if they didn’t have the no stop rule would have been better. At the end of it all I was very pleased with the rides. Even if I didn’t place in the top half of the class. I might have been last both days, but I survived. lol. I did have the same tree get me again on Sat that got me last year for the same event.!
2023 wounds
It was the same arm but above the elbow this year. I also had a run in with a cactus. Rick and Steve spent at least 20 minutes pulling cactus out of my left side. This was at the start of the second loop. I had to change clothes when we got back to the pits at the end of the loop. These nasty things were in my clothes and kept poking me every time I moved the wrong way. Which was frequently. Later that evening I had to have Sarah pull out more of the stickers with tweezers, 3 weeks later, I still have some that are finally festering their way out. I hate cactus!!!
Sunday went much better, but the sections were much harder. I had to have spots for at least 6 of the sections for each of the attempts. I failed on more of them than I should have. I’m pretty sure it was because I was soooo tired from the day before. This is when I gave my self more bruises. Just not making it up and having someone hold the bike so I could slide off it. It really did help my confidence. I still need to get control over the wheelies in order to think about moving up for the NMTA events.
The area that Curtis found for me to use for setting the April NMTA event.
I had some great help setting the sections. The loop was on the longer side for the lower classes. I had hoped that there would be no clean cards. There wasn’t!!! However, Mal, April, and JimE all had less than 3 points. I think I was a bit hard on the Ama class, their scores were really high. Most of their stuff I could ride, but not cleanly. It kind of surprised me.
