Just got back from my second race of the fall. If you don't know where eldarado, TX is, it's way out. 6 hours west of Houston just a little west of Sonora. Upon arrival I put my bike together and hit the trial for a race preride, I've never ridden this course. I wasn't hardly going fast at all and had a pretty difficult time manipulating the course, per courser of things to come. Exactly 5.7 miles (I know this exact mileage because the odometer broke at this spot capturing this distance forever) into the 9 mile course I saw a little bunny hopping beside the trail and thought to myself "How nice a little ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!" I went over a little rock ledge and endo'ed(end over end over the handle bars) On the way over I was able to get my feet out of the pedals but on the way down I flipped over and landed on the bike. I laid in the dirt for a bit taking inventory of all my body parts to make sure everything was in working order. Everything seemed fine, but my calf muscle hurt a bit, got back up and finished the trail. Upon inspection after the ride I noticed the little bump on my calf was about the size of an orange and starting to swell. It started hurting really bad so I put ice on it for a bit then went and did a tour of the caverns of Sonora (very nice it's not Carlsbad though) I got kind of mad and had to work through the feelings of "I drove 6 hours to wipe out on the pride, dude what a loser." So I worked though that and decided that I would wait until the next morning to decided weather I was going to race or not. The next morning my whole body hurt, my shoulders from the fall's, my legs and all my muscles. Even though all that was wrong I decided to ride even if I came in last, I had to do it.
Once I got up on the bike I started feeling pretty good, then it started raining. Several groups of riders coming off the course said it was very slick. Didn't care "I have decided to ride." The actual race went off pretty good. I'm still learning all the nuances of it but think I faired pretty well. The course ended up being nice and dry for us. I did bonk (run out of energy) several times but I managed to ride though those spots too. Myself and two other guys jockeyed for position for about the last 2 miles. With one mile left we dropped a fried of mine and it was just rider 961 and I. The course ends with a 1/2 mile climb and about a 300 yard open field for a sprint. I passed 961 and crested the climb and started putting a little pressure on to pull away, but 961 had more left in him that I thought and he really laid into it. I dropped my gears and started pounding it out and we were neck and neck the whole 300 yards. Approaching the line I shifted my weight forward a little bit and right at the line thrust the bike as hard as I could forward and would have just beat him but I misjudged the finish by a foot. (not finding the finish is a very short story but no big deal)I did a lot better this race than the last. Last race I was 21 out of 32, this race I was 12 out of 20 something.
I have learned a few lessons and committed them to memory, I hope they help you:
1. Bunnies are nice but "Eyes on the road, Hands on the Wheel."
2. Do not wipe out on the preride, especially 6 or more hours from home.
3. Know where the finish line is.
Peace out,
t
Once I got up on the bike I started feeling pretty good, then it started raining. Several groups of riders coming off the course said it was very slick. Didn't care "I have decided to ride." The actual race went off pretty good. I'm still learning all the nuances of it but think I faired pretty well. The course ended up being nice and dry for us. I did bonk (run out of energy) several times but I managed to ride though those spots too. Myself and two other guys jockeyed for position for about the last 2 miles. With one mile left we dropped a fried of mine and it was just rider 961 and I. The course ends with a 1/2 mile climb and about a 300 yard open field for a sprint. I passed 961 and crested the climb and started putting a little pressure on to pull away, but 961 had more left in him that I thought and he really laid into it. I dropped my gears and started pounding it out and we were neck and neck the whole 300 yards. Approaching the line I shifted my weight forward a little bit and right at the line thrust the bike as hard as I could forward and would have just beat him but I misjudged the finish by a foot. (not finding the finish is a very short story but no big deal)I did a lot better this race than the last. Last race I was 21 out of 32, this race I was 12 out of 20 something.
I have learned a few lessons and committed them to memory, I hope they help you:
1. Bunnies are nice but "Eyes on the road, Hands on the Wheel."
2. Do not wipe out on the preride, especially 6 or more hours from home.
3. Know where the finish line is.
Peace out,
t
