Race Report - GSC #4

BLAKE GILL -- GSC # 4 Athens GA

While this past weekend was nothing to write home about, I thought i'd give an update anyway. The past two weeks have been pretty bad from a training standpoint because of a back injury (which occurred at work no less) so I was a bit pessimistic going into the GSC #4 race in Athens, GA Sunday. Being a part of the GSC and SERC racing series' we had the biggest sport 19-29 fields I had seen yet this year. I went into the woods in 6th feeling pretty good and starting to feel a bit more optimistic about my fitness when we hit the first mud hole. It all seemed to go downhill from there! The middle 3rd of the course consisted of mainly off-camber trail with roots going diagonally across the trail. WET roots. I went down for the first time and just laughed it off...taking it as my sacrifice to the trail I guess. But, then I went down HARD. There's nothing like have a back popping fall 5 miles into an 18 mile race and wanting to limp out of there and drive home. While I could never bring myself to drop out of a race without serious issues, I had pretty much become so paranoid about every single little root that I didn't have a fighting chance. My whole state of mind was shot. I ended up finishing out of the top ten...but as of today I am ranked 6th in the GSC series!

I look forward to the Bump and Grind this Sunday and then two more GSC races (and maybe the Sprott Time Trial) to round out the month of June.

Blake Gill