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Ugh, don’t even feel like posting about this race. Once again, for whatever reason, the race organizers did not follow the MMBA CPS age groupings so instead of 30-34 we were in a group of 30-39. Placed 22 out of 30 starters (down from 43 riders last year, hmm) with a time of 01:09:01 which is actually worse than last year although the course was longer so its a tough call. Eric rolled in shortly afterward in 26th.
Felt ok just not particularly strong. Maybe if I actually trained like I gave a damn I would do a little better. Derailer started acting up again the last few miles which probably cost me a few minutes. Need to just tear the whole thing apart and tune it up. On the plus side the bike was handling much more nicely with some new Specialized tires. Its surprising how big a difference they can make, I’m always skeptical about the benefits of equipment. I thought it was the bike - I just didn’t feel like it handled well, it literally felt like it didn’t want to turn which is not a very good thing on twisty singletrack. Finally I realized that the center row of nubs was worn down, flattening out the profile, so its like riding on a square tire instead of a round one. So when you turn the bars, the squared off end resists the ground and from a steering standpoint nothing happens.
I hate to throw the “S” word around, but I feel like complaining: the winner of our class posted a time within seconds of the winner of the comparable age group a full class higher! WTF?
On the bright side, afterward we drove out to Lloyd and April’s place for Pat’s birthday. Haven’t seen them in forever so it was great.
First trip to New York this weekend. Went with Dave & Autumn and the other Dave and the other Sarah. Stated reason was to see Billy Joel play the last event ever at Shea Stadium. Secret (and real) reason was for Dave to propose to Autumn, which he did - Congratulations guys!!!
Early flight in Friday, spent most of the afternoon around Times Square seeing all the usual stuff. Rode the subway out to Shea for the concert. So awesome - seeing Billy is good enough, but he paraded out a litany of stars including Tony Bennett, Garth Brooks, Steven Tyler, Roger Daltry, and even Paul McCartney. Beat that!
Saturday slept in a bit after staying up 24 hours straight on Friday. Lunch at Planet Hollywood, then split off from the group to see MOMA all afternoon - big Salvador Dali exhibit currently. Dinner at Ruth’s Chris for arguably the best steaks in the world. Had a classic NewYork moment running several blocks to make the Broadway show (I won’t name the show). After the show tried to walk out to the Empire State building, but the deck was closed due to several busloads of tourists that arrived just before us, thwarted!
So it was up first thing Sunday morning to make sure we got to the Empire observation deck, success. Ran across a street fair after returning to the hotel, picked up some delicious junk food. Off to Central Park where we wandered about for a bit. The cab cross town was worth every penny to get to the WTC site. Cabs have obviously gotten a lot better, with a riders bill of rights posted, in-cab video with a GPS map showing you the route, and news/weather/sports available at the push of a button. Not to mention a credit card reader that automatically calculates your tip. Anyway, behind the wall tour at the WTC after flashing a few badges - nice.
Afterward, walked the waterfront to the Police Memorial and through Battery Park to get a good view of the Statue of Liberty. Tried to catch the Staten Island Ferry but was a bit too busy, so we called it a day and rode the subway back. Grabbed some food at the Hard Rock and eventually made our way to the airport where they threatened to kick people off the plane due to “weight restrictions”. Fortunately we checked in early and were allowed to board. After sitting on the tarmac wasting gas for a few hours we finally made it home.
Did I mention it was humid and nearly 100 degrees every single day we were in the city? That just made it even more fun!
It was hot and humid this morning with moderate winds, but clear and sunny. Set out early so avoided the worst of it, predicted high today is 91. Since I had the time today, I stretched out my Macon route SW out of town which eventuall ends up on Britton Hwy heading due south. Made it to the charming little Village of Britton which doesn’t have much else to offer than a bar and a Marathon gas station - which is good to know if you ever need a drink or snack on a long ride. South of Britton the Hwy is super smooth, I almost couldn’t believe it after some of the choppy roads around here. Unfortunately it only continues a few miles south of town and dead ends at Holloway Rd. My ride clock indicated it was time to head back, so took a short break and stretched out the legs, switched water bottles, and hit the road.
This year Boyne Mountain serves up a big, fat slice of Humble Pie!
With one more year of riding under my belt and a more focused training plan, I once again (foolishly it would seem) had high hopes for a strong showing. Due to its distance and difficulty, turnout is always low for this race, making at least a podium finish a reasonable possibility. The weather seemed favorable as well - last year was very sunny and hot the whole day. But this year it started out cool with light rain, although the sun came out after the first lap and it started to get quite hot and humid.
First lap went reasonably well, stayed with the leader most of the way but then lost sight of him after the last big climb. Biggest victory of the day is riding the super-steep drop at the end of the lap and not crashing. I did end up wrecking at the very end of the trail just before it turns to pavement when I hit a huge sand pit too fast. Very minor though, falling in sand is never too bad since it cushions you nicely, but you do end up covered in sand the rest of the day.
Pretty tired out but at the start of the next lap there is a fairly flat section where you can catch your breath. At this point I can just catch a glimpse of the leader occassionally going around a turn, but unless he loses it not much chance of catching up. I would have been happy just to hang on. Back into the climbs, and the legs are just not up to it.
Finally about halfway up the last big grinder my left thigh cramps up big time. Stretch it out, massage it, nothing works. Just take a seat and wait. Finally I know the day is over when I catch a glimpse of Eric coming up the hill. I figure, might as well start walking at least. Riding the downhills and the flats, mostly walking up the rest of the hills. I feel a lot better as I see that even the Expert/Elite class riders are walking up many of the hills. I come across an Elite class rider who was parked next to us in the parking lot. He’s now through 3 of 4 laps and says to me “I’m cooked”. He ends up abandoning the race.
“To be a cyclist is to be a student of pain….at cycling’s core lies pain, hard and bitter as the pit inside a juicy peach. It doesn’t matter if you’re sprinting for an Olympic medal, a town sign, a trailhead, or the rest stop with the homemade brownies.” ~Scott Martin
