August 21, 2004 - INTERVIEW
Name: Jed Prentice
City: Takoma Park
State/Province: MD
Country: USA
Age: 36
Place: 2nd
Category: Expert
Class or Age Group: Vet I (35-39)
Team: College Park Bikes
Race Bike: Phil Wood KISS-Off, 2:1 gear (my Trek Fuel 100 is missing the rear wheel at the moment)
Tires: Specialized Rockster Pro UST
Conditions: Damp, humid
Email: jed@outerbodyllama.com
How was your fitness level going into this race?
Riding the ragged edge between peak performance and burnout that is common
for me this time of year, there are good days and bad days. This was a good
day. In general I'm in good shape at the moment, for me, anyway.
Were you happy with your position going into the singletrack?
Yeah, I wasn't doing too bad, I was somewhere in the middle of the pack, but
that is typical for me as I'm not the fastest starter. I was hoping I was not
so far back that I would lose a lot of time to the leader.
Were you strong from start to finish?
Yes.
When did you put the hammer down?
About halfway through, when I'd worked my way up to about third place and realized
I could probably make it to the finish without blowing up. Of course, I've
only raced here once before, so I didn't exactly know where the finish was.
I was definitely happy to see it when it finally came.
Did you have any unusual problems?
I got stung by a bee/wasp/hornet on my left ankle somewhere near the beginning,
in the first 15-20 minutes. The critter was tenacious, I actually had to reach
down with my hand and swat the thing away, which was tricky when jockeying
for position in the singletrack early in the race. The guy in front of me got
a bit of a gap at that point...
Were you happy with the way the race was run?
Yes, the course was fantastic and the promoters did a great job. Delaware Trailspinners
does a lot of good things for the sport, and it is always good to support a
fantastic club. Thanks for a great race!
Did you have any interesting experiences during your race (exchanges
with competitors/spectators)?
My friend and fellow competitor Mike Buchness called me a "sick f***er" as
I was riding his wheel on one of the climbs late in the race, before I passed
him to take second place. I took it as a compliment..
Also, I think some guys assumed I was leading the singlespeed race and let
me by, that was nice of them... I did give a straight answer when questioned
directly , though.
Anything you would like to add?
Thanks again to the Delaware Trailspinners for a great race.