Pre-race:
The morning temperatures were cooler than I
expected (41-degrees). The race advertised “hills” in the literature, so I was worried
about my lack of preparation. We arrived about an hour early along with
30-40 other people. I was expecting a small ride. After sitting in my truck for
30-minutes I came out to a parking lot of hundreds of other cyclist.
Alyson rode her new hybrid bike and she wasn’t nearly
as excited about riding as I was. In fact, she seemed to have very little interest,
but she never asked to go home.
We took the 25 mile route and joined the sub-16.0
mph pace group. The ride seemed sufficiently organized. I’m use to running
events where you can see the details and logistics involved with a large race. Whereas in cycling,
they seem to cut you loose and block a few roadways. I KNOW there is more to it
than that, but you don’t see the details as much as a running race.
I have always struggled to understand the attitudes of cyclist. They
seem to be more “clickish” and not as friendly as runners. Maybe it’s just my
perception. The ride marshals were on both side of the extremes. Two younger male
riders rode next to us and started up a conversation and seemed excited to be part of the ride. I was all smiles once they left us. Then there was another
marshal which was just shy of a bitch. All morning I listened to her barking
out orders and yelling at riders. I knew we would be slow riders, so I stayed
at the back of the corals. Twice she yelled at me to “MOVE UP!” It wasn’t safe
for use to move up, so I held my spot. Shortly after we took off she was behind
us on a narrow section of HWY 105. Alyson was beside me and there were LOTS of
riders passing us on the left. I told Alyson to move to the right, closer to
me, so she steered 6-10 inches towards me. This marshal was behind her and
yelled, “HOLD YOUR LIIIIINE!”. I don’t know what her deal is, but she needs to
relax…
Route/Course:
The ride wandered along beautiful country roads. I
was nervous about loose dogs on a few sections, but we didn’t have any
problems. The course had a constant roll, nothing too steep. There was one descent where I realized I was moving about 34 mph. That was faster than I expected and
resulted in me hitting the brakes a little on the way down. The officers did a
great job of blocking the roads. I only had to stop one time for traffic and it
was literally the parking lot before the finish line. We stopped because a busy
church was letting its patrons out.
Damage Control:
Something is wrong with my bike. I could only use
a handful of my gears. It’s most likely the result of loose cables or my
derailer needs adjustment. It was frustrating at times, but I was able to work
around it by changing my front rings more. Around mile 20 I turned onto a side
rode to pee. I was in a hurry to get back to the group and apparently I jumped
off the bike to fast and the front rings clawed my right calf pretty bad.
Aid Stations:
The aid stations were typical for bike rides. The
food was minimal, but enough for a bike ride. I was looking for a mechanic, but
never found one. The location was good, giving everyone ample room to socialize
before continuing.
Gear:
While I was prepping my bike and getting dressed I
realized I had forgotten socks. Luckily I ran into Lynn, which offered me a pair
of spare socks. I need a new pair of cycling shoes. It’s hard to walk in my
current road shoes and it is dangerous at times.
Fuel/Hydration/Supplements:
I didn’t drink much water. Luckily the ride was
short and never bothered me. I ate a couple fig newton’s and some kind of small
cupcake thing. I was never hungry.
Runners and Friends:
As I mentioned above, I saw Lynn, who I hadn’t
seen in probably a year. Before the race started I also ran into Brian, who is
a beginning cyclist and Jenny, which is a runner/triathlete. Both friends are full of energy and a lot of fun to be around.
Post Race:
There wasn’t much of a post-race party. I thought
they advertised BBQ at the finish, but it ended up being hot dogs and chips.
The United Airlines BBQ team was cooking and they had a BBQ pit that looked
exactly like an airplane, which was VERY cool.
Lessons Learned:
I had a lot of fun by simply, “taking it easy”.
The hills aren’t bad if you don’t beat yourself up trying to climb them.
Timing:
26.14 miles
2:13:31
