I've just returned from about 15 miles of riding on the course and it's exactly as I remember it. Plenty of going up, a ton of sand, ferns galore, and a lot of fun. This is my kind of trail riding, very little fear of smacking into a huge rock and a lot of speed. The trail is very buffed out for the most part with the sand smoothing it out, but it's easy to find yourself drifting off the trail if you aren't paying attention. Much like a cyclocross race, sand can push you around, and if you work too hard against it you'll end up on the ground.
For me, I've found a really smooth tread has made the trail feel fast and the smooth tread doesn't dig into sand. If you stay light on the bike it glides through the sand and doesn't push you too much.
Enjoy these couple of photos, I wish I could have talked myself into stopping to take more. The vast majority of the course looks just like this, smooth and fast.
Wish me luck tomorrow as I come back to this race. Last year I was coming off of a nasty cold and the climbing got to me. This year I am coming back to show myself I can do this.
I also want to wish all of my comrades out there the best of luck tomorrow. Ride hard, have fun, and I'll see you at the finish.
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