Fri: 37th
Sat: 48th
Sunday:31st and I didn't get pulled.....
To start it off, I almost didn't get to make the trip this year. The Cat 3 men sold out around the end of April and I only got a spot for Sunday (cry baby hill). Luckily I was able to buy entry spots from a teammate who could not make it. SCORE!
Then on the Friday I am supposed to leave, I realized that the rattle and noise coming from my car was actually my exhaust system trying to fall off.......Had to ask Carrie who was at work if I could take her car. Quick car swap and then on the road about 1h behind the "easy driving time." Got gas and was on the road.......6:18 minutes NON-STOP to Tulsa puts me there at 5:07pm. Races start at 6:15..... [Side bar...The VW TDI got 46 mpg on this trip] [Luckily my car survived the weekend local trips Carrie made around town]
IT WAS HOT!!!!!!!! Like 95 degrees and humid. Time to "warm-up"
Got in a good warm up and used ice socks for the first time. I totally recommend them to help keep just a bit cooler when it is that hot.
Got warmed up and to the start line. They call us to the line and I am about 3 rows back. Not where I want to be, but not bad. During my normal pre-race nervous habits, I checked my rear tire pressure with my thumb......And it was low....not yet flat but on the way....SHIT. I jump out of line as they are doing the National Anthem and head to the neutral pit. Luckily I get a rear wheel and make it back to the line just as they are counting down from 5.......Not a good way to start. The race starts fast and it took me a bit to settle in. Friday is often a hard course for me to move up on. In the first 20 minutes I make the easy move ups (basically slotting into spaces and then defending the constant shuffle). The race was pretty uneventful from where I was at. With 8 to go, I knew I needed to get going toward the front. I put in a few pretty big efforts and got up to about 40 - 50 th of 111 starters with about 3 to go. Still WAY back. It was hot and I was feeling OK, but not too powerful from that heat. In corner 7 with just over 1 to go, the first crash that impacted me (and a lot of the field) happened. I had to grab a ton of brake and just made it through a hole. But it took a pretty big effort to get back up to the group with 1 to go.........
I was moving up a bit the whole time, but could tell that a top 20 was not an option. One more crash on the back side slowed us up just a tad........
I didn't give it a full gas sprint, but kept pace to ride in for 37th out of 84 finishers. http://www.usacycling.org/results/?compid=275221
The full race online here: https://vimeo.com/130904831
After the race I rode a cool down lap and then got my flat tire back. Then off to the car to drink chocolate milk and take a "camp" shower......
Watching the Olathe Subaru Team in the 1,2 race was fun. They are having a phenomenal year!
Saturday at the Brady Arts District is usually my race to do well in....I got there early and got in a good warm up. It was a bit cooler, but the ice socks were still a welcome addition to the pre-race and race kit. Lined up early (20 minutes) but was still a bit back.
This course used to be wide open but some construction narrowed the start finish area into corner 1, and being a bit toward the back made that corner suck. Tons of slinky effect. In retrospect, I should have railed the inside line more often here because, while a bit risky occasionally, it was a fast line. I typically took the outside line which was a long way around and still caused you to loose some speed. Again, pretty uneventful race for me. I again was having a bit of trouble moving up in the field. However, I did move up quite a few times....From near 70 back to about 30-40 back. BUT.....every time I got up there, I was a bit gassed and would slide on back.
With 4 to go it was time to move up. I am pretty sure that the pace was high as there were two guys off the front making moving up a bit harder. A couple a crashed in the last few minorly messed up the flow, but not really. I just didn't have the legs or the mindset to get to the front. Road it in for 48th out of again 110 starter (on paper).
Full race here: https://vimeo.com/130904850
Again shower and watch the other races. Met some fun people from Iowa and sat with some of the VeloTek crew by cain's Ballroom.
[Sidebar: Had a #3 Jalapeno Cheeseburger and fries with coke from Braum's on the way home. It was some of the best fast food I have ever had for some reason!]
Sunday is Cry Baby Hill. The race that I hate to Love.
Again got there early but parking was crazy. Tons of racers and spectators already EVERYWHERE!
Got in a good warmup and got to line up 30 minutes before the start. This was a KEY to my success this year. I lined up in the third row on the right and with the start fell in about 20 riders back. That was my plan. Stay near the front and hopefully go for the first prime....After that it was whatever happens. While it wasn't as hot as it had been the last two days nor in the past, the fans were told not to spray the riders which is good and bad. The bike stays cleaner and you don't get water in the eye....BUT it was a nice way to cool down every time up the hill.
I was moving up a bit more at about 12 minutes in on the left side of the hill when somebody in front of me rear ended Connor Rainey. The guy went down and I jumped onto the curb and into the grass....Almost stayed up but hit a pot hole or lost too much momentum and took a tumble in the grass. Dropped my chain too....
I didn't stress and road over to the pit to get my free lap. The head official didn't believe me that I crashed. I explained that I crashed in the grass on the hill and finally convinced her that I should get my lap. Got back in there and got right back at it.
It was getting HOT and HARD at 30 minutes in. With about 7 to go I was at the back of what was left of the pack and doubting my ability to hang on. It took quite a bit to convince myself to suffer on and continue. I remember hearing "turn down for What!" and "Nuttin's but a G'Thang" on the hill.......Nice distractions.
Fast forward to 3 to go and I feel better. I think the pace slowed just a tad as well. On the last lap, I figured I would get most of my money's worth and give it a go for moving up. I moved up on the home stretch. I moved up on the hill. [I actually saw Austin Gomes (top ten) make his move from right in front of me on that hill]
Got to the apex in about 31st and thought..."this will do" Because the final turn is HARD and I was GASSED.
Peddled in hard for 31st.
Full video here: https://vimeo.com/130904860
It is truly amazing how hard that hill is once the race is over. Limped up the hill to the ROAR of the crowd and got handed a bud lite lime....TASTY!!! at least at this point of the day + heat + race
Headed over the start finish line and thanked the officials then hung out and watched Olathe Subaru do their thing.
Got back to the car just before the down pour.
Key for next year is to line up early. Real Early. Key number 2 is get to the front and go for broke. I am either going to blow up trying or succeed.
Here are a few videos of what it looks like from the inside.
