Join Date: Apr 15, 2009
Post Count: 78
Tridonkey1
Jun 01, 2009 at 7:40 PM
Dave, Chach and I rolled down to east union for a bit of pain and snot
Join Date: Apr 15, 2009
Post Count: 78
Tridonkey1
Jun 01, 2009 at 7:41 PM
The East Union Race is in the books. Yesterday morning Mercury, Chach and I got ourselves to east union, chach road into a head wind, Mercury and I drove like bats out of hell bending many traffic laws and using the iphone and his skewed memory to get there.
The race is a 30 mile (3 loop) race in the open plains of east union, which is close to some bluffs, but luckily those were not put into the course. The wind was brutal at about 20-40mph steady. The course was a square with 2.5 mile sections on each side. which created one downwind, two crosswind, and one head wind section....
There was a 2 mile roll up to the start and a field of 38 guys. a few of the pro-1-2 guys were doing the double racing both races, so it was a larger and faster field than the last one. the "neurtral" roll out got going and I was riding pretty easy when I realized I was last place, so I worked up to close to the front which was not easy since the "neutral" was about 22mph. we turned onto the course with a tail wind and the race started, 2.5 miles of about 38+, a pretty hot corner and then hammering into a crosswind. it was tough to get out of the wind and also with so many guys it was tight and a bit scary. it got hot on this section and the first selection was made with a few people getting dropped. I about gave up at this point telling myself my legs were just not there, but I held on to make the corner and face the wind. I tucked in and made it to the next corner...(probably 15mph into the wind). the crosswind again sucked and people started making moves and it got pretty hot again....we stayed together and made the turn into the wind. 40mph with about 30 guys...just flying as fast as you could peddle but not that crazy tough. another hot corner into the cross wind and people started to pick up the pace, I was able to hang, but my legs were stiffening with each effort. I was drifting back in the pack but staying with the pack. I hung in on the head wind and made the cross wind about half way through the pack, once we hit the cross wind again, it was go time, it got hot, I was in the back trying to get close to the edge fo the road to get protection from the wind. there was a downhill section followed by a pretty steady hill, since I was in back, we were still going fast when the front slowed up for the hill. long story short, I am in the pain cave, I am looking down at the wheel in front of me...and then things go awry. I see and hear some wierd stuff, and I see one guy shoot into the ditch, and realize i am on the shoulder in some sandy dirt stuff. I shit my pants (not really) stop pedaling, and gently get back on the road...now 30 feet off the back. I put the hammer down (which was now a plastic enflatable hammer) and catch back up to the pack by the top of the hill, but then it picks up again, I am telling myself I just have to hang on until the turn with the tail wind, but about 500 yards from the turn I pop (of give up) and a gap opens, I make the corner and maintain the 500 yard gap to the pack, but by the time we turned into the cross wind, the gap opened up as the pack could fight the wind together and I was solo. i picked up a buddy to try to work back to the pack, but we were both shattered and the wind was so strong. we passed a few people that were blown off the pack as we kept working, into the wind was laughable...12-15 mph max while working your butt off, cross wind legs are now bricks, almost catch a guy by the finish, but couldn't do it. finished a minute or so behind the pack, but ahead of many.
I learned a lot more this race. I almost killed myself a few times when I got sloppy and tired and crossed my front wheel on the guy ahead of me and luckily braked and got if free before wiping myself and the people behind me out.
Mercury and I rode home into that 30mph head wind and we were literally going 8 mph into the wind with shelled legs, it was a 35 mile death march which I ducked out of at mile 20 with a phone call to M&M for a ride.
ran 13 miles today, which I am sure non of the guys that beat me did!!! just trying to make myself feel better.
lessons learned: stay near the front (easier said than done)
Bike racing is the ability to go until you can't go any more, and then be able to go 10 more seconds. you do the math
