Tour de Tykes XC...

Things to do during an "Excessive Heat Warning"

AVOID PROLONGED WORK IN THE SUN OR POORLY VENTILATED AREAS. ALSO...DRINK PLENTY OF WATER AND TRY TO STAY IN AN AIR CONDITIONED ENVIRONMENT. AVOID ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES.

Or so says the National Weather Service.....but what do they know.

So what would any good FL born boy do when it's 96 degrees and 95% humidity.....I give you Danville...aka HELL. I think Hell will be a little less humid thou....I'll let you know on that one.

After working Sat on our course for the up coming race and the two hour drive up the last thing my body wanted to do was race....not to mention climb for 3500 feet. But after getting my chops busted by a couple fellow heat lovers (Matty/Dan) over my choice of clothing (they've not bought into the idea that real men were thongs yet) we lined up for our race start.

The race was my first mass start (they started all the Sport riders in one large wave) and with this in mind I rolled my wheelchair toward the front of the 100 person field. Even thou the race started with a 400 plus foot climb on the 3/4 mile dirt road I did not want to get stuck in traffic. Things worked out and I entered the single track in third overall, but with my main competition just in front on me.

But very quickly I realized I had a bigger problem....the bike will not sit in a gear. Over the next 4-5 minutes (after watching my main rival ride away from me) I figure out I pretty much have two gear, the granny in the rear and the middle or large chainring up front. Not the ideal gearing for a course that's a flat as your typical strip club, but I made do.

I spun up some climbs in a much higher cadence then I wanted and muscled up others in a much slower cadence....the whole time waiting to be eaten alive by the wolfs that I knew were somewhere behind.

But other then one rider (not in my class) that passed me as I was first trying to diagnosis the problem the wolfs never came, I guess this little piggie got lucky again. I finished forth overall but still only a second in my class....


So given the course, (I'm not a climber) the weather and my shifting issue I guess I'm fairly happy with the out come....fairly.

Kryptonite?

We all know Superman's weakness was Kryptonite, and on the cycling Superhero front I'm far from Superman.....far, far. But we all have our own Kryptonite, but on and off the bike. So what's my mine?

A race course that looks like that.......I got a lot better at climbing over the Winter (thanks to a good number of hours on the road bike.....and out of the kitchen) but it's still a big weakness.

So after seeing the course profile for the Tour de Tykes race this Sunday that not so warm and fuzzy feeling started kicking a little early......like three days early.

Is that bacon I smell.......

.......no, it's the lightning that just stuck in the trees 100 meters away.....that was lap one of my race yesterday.

Yesterday was the Summer Sizzler, the forth XC race in the MASS series. The course was a super fast five mile loop with lots of rolling hills, burmed corners and no real climbing to speak of. A perfect course for a single speed, or better yet to run in your big chainring.

After a couple of warm up laps and helping a friend get some medical attention my race started at 12:30. Which is the same time the sun decided to go on strike and it started to rain.

With only a 100 meters and a quick short climb till the hole shot into the singletrack things started fast. With a little luck I made it into the woods first, but I had an angry mob breathing down my neck. After 3-4 minutes it was down to two of us, then I was alone....dude had a mechanical, day over.

About the same time the rain got HEAVY.....thunder, lightning the whole nine yards. Toward the end of my first lap lightning struck in the trees close by......I'm glad I was alone because even thou I could hardly breathe I made a sound/scream/cry like a ten year old girl. Yeah, something to be proud of I know. But the lightning hit was so close that you could smell the "burning" of what ever it hit....was pretty cool...in a scary way.

Coming in after the first lap they were telling everyone "last lap, last lap.....only a two lap race now." The plan was for us to do three laps, but with the "events" taking place the race promoter made the right call in both getting us off the course and out of the weather.

The course got nasty real fast, what was nice fast turns 30 minutes earlier were now a slimy mess. Thanks to Faticus for the "pep talk" mid way thru the lap, even thou to took me a second to know who it was it the amount of mud in my eyes and his sporty new do.

So with mother nature on my side I stayed out front for the win...maybe I should do a rain dance at the start of each race from now on?

Motivation

Check out the new motivation/training tool Liz has found......
Works for me......no really, it works for me........wait for it....wait for it.....nevermind.

Check out this photo taken by MLKimages from the race this past weekend......

...as cool as this shot is, what's the thing I'm most happy with?..........The flat pedal stroke baby......looks like training is paying off for something.

Granogue race report plus.....

As I said yesterday, Wifey and I headed down to the Granogue XC on Saturday.

The race started like most, on a nice flat open gravel road to thin out the field......so with this it was a 300 meter sprint for the hole shot. Halfway up the road two riders came by in a paceline so I jumped on dudes wheel. We made the turn into the woods and more two riders shot by on the inside...."na, I ain't going down like this." I jump on my "rabbits" wheel and somehow within the next ten seconds I'm leading the race.....still not sure where that came from.

The next couple minutes were a blur until I hit the first real single track area.....then came the traffic jam. The SingleSpeeders started right in front of us again, and like French Creek we caught them right at the right/wrong time. Nothing like coming around a corner and having 20 racers walking their bikes up the first hill/climb/technical spot of the course. But that's all part of racing, if you can't pass well....you lose.

After five minutes of passing/working and begging my way thru traffic things settle down to a nice flow for the rest of the first lap. The end of the lap was a half mile gravel/dirt/paved road climb back to the start/finish.....this is where I was past. I knew it, I saw him coming and watched him roll by....I just had nothing to answer, I was tapped.

My second lap was just a blur of happiness....sweet rarely ridden trails on private property with none of the traffic around. A little more passing here and there but nothing major, I was pretty much as happy as a man could be without a female present.....I'm not gonna explain that one. I had a little cramping that I need to look into but everything else was good...besides being in second....and sadly that's how things ended.

Wifey got a shot of me coming across the finish at the speed of slow.......

.....not sure where the sweet cut/blood trail on my knee came from....but don't worry, I'll think of a good story. I'm thinking it was from when I was in Nam.

But second it was...

...even the picture to prove it...joy, joy. The shirtless guy you ask....I have no idea, maybe we can get a fund together to find dude some clothes. If your last name is not Biel or Abba you should not be sporting around topless.....nevermind, on we go.

As always Faticus is a man of the people and treats the bitches well.....sorry Ann....

Marc called Ann out to congratulate her for everything she does as a person/blogger and all around great person. Thanks Ann for everything you do/have done, and not to mention all the enjoyment you've brought me....think PG13 here kids....well....nevermind.

And now onto Marc and friends. I could be here all night saying great things about you and your support group...but to tell you the truth anybody that reads this knows you personally and therefore knows how supportive you are of racing/causes/and the remembrance (of Andrew Mein.)

Thank you.

Granogue Minor

Just a quick throw out.....before I throw up, or cramp up....again.

If anybody happens to see this man......

.....Faticus........weather it's on the Tri state area trails, eating fish tacos, posted on the wall in your local Post Office, or in jail make sure you thank him (after you hide your children.)

He, his crew, friends and family went well above the call of duty once again in putting on the Granogue MTB race this year. The race was/is both a celebration of a fallen rider/racer Andrew Mein and a fundraising opportunity for the HERA Women's Cancer Foundation.

But more on all the above tomorrow, I need sleep, food, water and beer......not in that order thou.

Thanks again Faticus!

I've been pimped....

....and by pimped, I mean PIMPED......lookie what I came home to today...
Any guess on what I'll be sporting at Marc's race tomorrow? Come on....guess...

But to tell you the truth, before getting this stuff I was "less than pumped" about tomorrow....and that's putting it mildly. Not sure why but yesterday I just started getting a bad feeling about this one. Maybe it's the lack of training, or the lack of focus this past week (more then likely it's the extra calories)...but something is not giving me that warm fuzzy feeling. Pulling my glute Wednesday night did not help either.

I don't know.....maybe I just need to have my ass handed to me. I mean the next 6-7 weeks should be the focus of the whole racing year and I'm just kind of walking thru things with no real drive.....or maybe I'm just being a woman (I'm gonna pay for that one.) I always get nervous before a race but this just seams different for some reason.

Either way seeing the package from the Twin Six boys (thanks Ryan and Brent) has brought more then a little sunshine into my day. With that in mind I need to get the 29er ready to rock and get the pre race meal rolling before the real Sunshine comes home from work.