I'm amazed at the way I feel. I'm really tired. Leg tired, body tired. BUT I feel great. The race was less than an hour - about 59:30. Really don't feel like I was going any faster than any other time when I'm trying to go fast (aka trying to hang on our group rides). The Garmin showed an average heart rate of 174 so you know I was on the gas. My start sucked. I was behind the one guy on the front line that cheesed the start. I was near last and knocked off about five people before the first up in the field. Grabbed a few more before the rock turn and settled in about 3 or 4 behind Steve. Steve was about 4th or 5th place with the leaders in sight. Cool, back it down and just groove. Some strunz messed up the half pipe. Made the guy in front of me dab - which pretty much killed my mo. First sky rocket. I man it and slowly start to pull the leader group back. Up that first small switch back I see the leaders have a small gap on Steve's group. Steve tells me to come on and just try to keep it smooth. No problem. I pull some guys back and pass a few. Steve's just ahead. Up the rocky switchback, this guy dismounts but does no get out of the way. Second time that's happened to us. Guy in front of me flips out. I tell the dude to get out of the way and of course he does not so I have to get off. Sky rocket two. Lump it, I just run it. I keep seeing Steve and try to methodically pull him back. Not sure of the sequence because of dealing with my neck and most of it was a blur - but I see Steve right there - just ahead of me on the rocky step up. I got him. No. Dude in front of me dabs. I have to switch lines to the steep part on the left. Crap, I don't make it. Third sky rocket. Working my way back again, I catch a vine and stack it up. And another sky rocket. Somewhere in there I have fought my way through and I was only one guy behind Steve - maybe 30 yards. Just nut up and pull him back. Every time I tried, I either screwed up or somebody else screwed me up, and ahad more sky rockets. Pure suffering for me. Some time guys by and I just want to see the flat/road section. Then I know the bulk of the hard stuff is done. Finally make it. I cruise by the bikechain/180 tent and Mark tells me I'm doing great. Tells me I got a bogey and that I need to serve it up. Damn, it's porkchop (aka 234). He passes me as I'm grabbing water. I don't have much fight left but I'm going to do my best. By the time I get my bottle holstered, we dip into the singletrack. Porkchop attacks. He is hammering. I stay with him as long as possible. Just hold his wheel. Damn, I have to let him go. Don't sweat it. Just keep motoring. This stretch is long, flowing single track that leads up to the start/finish area. I've got it pegged through here. I'm chasing and being chased. My only regret of the race is losing two spots when we pop out into the field. I'm leading. I know their there. I pedal smooth and back it down, waiting for them to pass. I knew I was gassed so my only hope was to suck a wheel. Two guys come around fast. I'm able to grab the wheel but it hurts. My mind is telling me to skin that smoke wagon. But my legs are garbage. Come on PAB, one minute of riding. Stay on the wheel. I'm completely gassed. A few surges and I realize my goose is cooked. They drop me and I putter in - 13th.
Bad news - my neck was completely jacked - I have to work on that
Bad news - 6 minutes off the winner
Good news - Only 6 minutes off the winner - Macon was 12 +
Good news - Only a minute off porkchop - 4 + in in Macon
Good news - Only about 2 minutes off Steve - nearly 7 in Macon
I must be getting faster because y'all cant be getting any slower. See you at BUMP.
Red Dragon
5 comments:
I always enjoy reading your recaps.
10-4, keep the pedal to the metal good buddy, yee-haw
Dragon, looks like you're using the less is more method. I'm pretty sure I rode more than you since Macon (can you say "Dragonstealth training") and yet you closed the gap by 5 min! I guess next race I'll be trying to catch you and porkchop!
Funny thing about the race. The guys on the podium i didn't recognize at all. I wonder what happened to the dudes I thought were leading??
My race simply went like this: Start, get ballzed up, pass people, get ballzed again, pass main ballzer, crash infront of ballzer and never catch him again, drag wheel leach for a good while, totally fuckup the approach to the "step-up" by inadvertently "stepping up" too soon, thus cutting the course-leach does the same (sorry bro....not really...dick...actually...sorry bro), leach backtracks first, then me-now Dragons chase posse is RIGHT on me, catch and pass the leach, leach gone but now running from posse, posse members keep telling me "nice pace, keep it up", translate to mean-keep pulling so we can drop you like a post Thanksgiving meal turd, when you blow up, get caught by Big Jim, realize somehow main posse mouth is now gone....good, but one or more are still quietly lurking on my wheel, get complacent behind a non class rider on a yellow bike (should've used him to block lurkers-won't make that mistake again), now attempt to pass yella bike by saying I'm goning on the left, super lurker makes a jump to pass on his right at the same time, yella spooks and comes in on me, this gives super lurker a lil gap on me now (well played.....douche rocket), can't reel in newly named douche rocket and roll in just behind him at the finish, realize that rocket is the same dude I stuffed at the finish in Macon to take 4th...... touche rocket, touche! Stand on my own lil pine cone podium next to.....well the real podium and accept acknowledgment of my effort.
Nice recap SM. Made me laugh a little.
Dammit, Mackerel! You really need to post this stuff as a legit post. I laughed my ass off! (As Silk pointed out, that's the way we old people say LMAO.)
We really need to get you set up with your own blog. I'd love to have a little peek at what goes on in that head of yours, on a day to day basis.
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