Gotta say pinning on my number was one of my challenges for the day. But Diane and Elda got the flap out and dialed me in. It wasn't that hot boyz (drama), or that windy ... maybe hotter and windier in SY valley Sat. All things went smooth in the lead -up to ...
#941
So, off we went and over the top I labored but was in lead group (@13) where we lost Eric , then Gene ...I was ready to turn back to the truck. Full lactic sizzle-lean, I was gapped on the first downhill by the group since I was spent from the effort of climb and was checking the Lakers score on my BlackJack .. and actually enjoyed the ride down but worked some, too much actually!
Into the wind on the next leg and sucked up by group two and the next thirteen or so riders where EB but no Gene was clocking and I had a chance to nod to my teammate, he said later I looked pretty red-faced :) , well, Eric looked good really ... I rode and hung for a couple miles with them but they dropped me as well AND with four to five other riders we re-grouped and we kept them in site. After a completely smoking quick down hill to the bottom of the climb, I dropped all the riders with me ( .. only one dry heave that was spectator viewable if launched , ego said look good thru the S/F line area :) and I did, I was surprised how much I made back ... but no contact with group 2 and the tank was well into it's burn now, and then another downhill of gyping and tacking, the 5/6 guys I dropped well, they reeled me back ... and we split again and ..
Then somewhere down toward the end of our second back stretch into the wind leg, came a train with a Team Chicken Ranch rider, Gene, and a few other riders came storming up on me, I was riding solo, ... and I hung on to their wheels to the finish (Gene, who I did not know, the two of us introduced and met on the final climb home with Gene sporting me a FasTrack Bicycle water bottle (thanks for the bottle) with some backwash to wet my whistle and lighten his load for the checkered!) .... two riders were from another team and one of them went early and then Gene jumped up and hammered them pretty nicely then the unattached rider and I went and the final rider was from the other team ...we all finished together .. 34th to 38th and I was 37th I SWEAR :) ... great fun! wooo, glad it was OVA!
Here's are après race picture ... we are basking in Brett's FIFTH-place finish (NICE!), I felt allot of support from the other Chicken Ranchers and mates on race day, Brett and Dan and I warmed up together and chilled and last minute wheel change for Brett and good teamwork (a day's highlight!) ... HOWEVER, the race itself was absent of CR teamwork, I believe if Gene and Eric and I rode together we would have all placed higher!!! Hummm.
I'll be registering for race #2 soon, in June. Since only deciding to race the first of March, with no speed training or real endurance training, I accomplished the goals and could not have a better team or done it without, Eric, Dave, Matt and the B Team blog ... sweet, thanks.
PEACE.
Rick Martz
Department of Earth Science
University of California, Santa Barbara
1 comment:
Everyone should feel great about finishing.Brett, great job!
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