Bakers Dozen

Leesburg Bakers Dozen Race Report by Selene
This weekend, I packed up the family and we headed to Leesburg, Virginia for the Bakers Dozen, a 13-hour mountain bike enduro race held on a beautiful, bucolic, privately owned farm. Dave and I raced co-ed duo, which I playfully deemed TeamCF/BFF. For me, this was a fun event where I could fine-tune my race nutrition while putting in some solid, race pace laps. My goal was to get in at least 11 laps (about 88 to 90 miles) in my 6 1/2 hour pull. I’m happy to say, I had a great day.
      The course was awesome, simply awesome. Blazingly, big ring fast. Perfect dirt. Sweeping, swooping, superbly groomed trails. A few log piles and rock outcroppings made it just technical enough to satisfy a mountain biker’s desire for challenge without making it too difficult for even the most green beginner to enjoy. In short, it was a perfect day. I felt happy; my legs felt light; my bike disappeared beneath me, and I couldn’t stop smiling.
      Those 11 laps seemed to fly by nearly effortlessly. Just before 4 p.m., with my pull complete, I handed Dave our timing chip and sent him on his way. The Baker’s Dozen course rewards diesel riders, of which Dave is one, so it crossed my mind that we could pull down a good result. The day continued to go swimmingly well as Dave tore through his first four laps. He’d hoped to pull 10 laps, but a late night flat tire stalled his progress. He rolled in just after 10 p.m., grabbed a cheeseburger and put it, bun and all, between two slices of pizza (no, I’m not kidding), poured a beer and declared the day a success. We’d ended up in a very respectable 4^th place.
      On a team note, I had two racers approach me to thank me personally for racing for CF. One had just lost a family member to CF; the other lives with the condition. Throughout the race, various riders and spectators commented on the team and how they’d seen various pictures and stories or had met other racers and riders. In a short time, we’re making a big impression.