Sweat Shirt Time 10:51 and Some Change
Please take the time to participate in the poll near the bottom of my post.
I’m taking it.
Results page shows a 10:54. After I had been across the line for a few moments, someone said, ‘Good Job, sub 11’ and 10:54 was the time on the clock when I looked, so who knows.
I am going with sweatshirt time, because there is nothing more permanent than that.
Everything was perfect going into the race.
The week before, even in the midst of my final departure from ABQ, every thing was smooth.
No pre race pneumonia.
Training with power is the best.
I knew exactly what my training TSB was, then, I saw the Great Master’s Advice; “Intervals Monday, Endurance Tuesday, and now I take 2 days off (I used to take 1) then, Friday a little ride.
I have generally done a M, W, shorter higher intensity workout, and a Friday Pre Race ride.
After I ready the Master’s advice, I went back looking at my TSB scores, and how long it would take me to recover from where I was; 2 days. I knew exactly.
I did things a bit different this time. I got my internal clock ready too.
I knew it would be a 4 am wake up call, so I began getting up earlier and earlier.
This served to be incredibly helpful.
Especially the night before.
I was tired, and for once, got a full 8 hours prior to my big race. A full 8. Unbelievable.
I was in the white chorale. There were about 15 people behind me.
That means, I would have approximately 1985 people to pass, or at least, to try to contend with. In actuality, about 1185.
I just couldn’t wait to get started.
And we’re off.
It was cold, 38 degrees, I wore nothing, but my short sleeves, shorts, arm warmers, my Our Lady of Guadalupe socks, and toe warmers.
By the end of the 1st descent, I couldn’t feel my left thumb, it hurt, and I was more than a little worried about frost bite.
I knew I should have taken my wrench, and good friend, Randy Silva’s advice and worn surgical gloves, this would have alleviated all of those symptoms.
It was all stop and go traffic at the 1st climb.
I was riding, and just wanting to pass, most everyone else was walking.
The rules are clear, they say, if you are walking your bike, you should yield to riders.
I was clearly calling, ‘rider back’ but got a response,
“Where are you going to go?”
“Forward”
And then, came, “You have another 90 Miles to go”
I know, I signed up for this, my training was spot on, and I want to go as fast as possible.
I eventually got through, and managed to keep going forward.
The race has changed a lot since 2008.
Twice as many people.
But navigationally, it made it more challenging, more than ever before.
I was very focused, I had my eye on the prize, I just wanted to get as far as I could in the least amount of time possible.
I had a great team to work with on the way to Twin Lakes.
And we are off up Columbine.
I can do this.
I was passing people all the way up.
On the easier road climb people were dropping, they were going slow. It is two way traffic there, and scary to pass.
Just one at a time was my motto.
There were a couple of folks who were riding up in the middle of the road.
This is very scary to me, more scary because I was always taught, drive right, pass left. I called out, and one guy didn’t want to go right, I did not want to swing too far left and be taken out by a rider coming down. But he just wouldn’t budge. There was more than one occasion I had to pass on the right.
There is just something fundamentally wrong with passing on the right. But, I guess, I will just have succumb to that.
On the harder portion of the ascent, everyone was pushing their bikes, I was just spinning I was excited it was so easy. I just kept up. Passed good friend and old Team Captain, James Webb, of NRC-Pedalmashers, we gave a fist pump, and I kept spinning up.
There is something about being the only rider on Columbine and getting a push from the Master of Ceremony, Ken Chlouber, The climb was easy, I was spinning, cranking up, easier than Water Canyon. Columbine = A longer climb, with less elevation gain.
At some point, I had to get off, I was “walking faster” and still passing folks, running at times.
Finally the top.
The turn around. Time for some dense protein.
2nd mistake: I should have gone for the cheeseburger, not the Strip. 1st mistake was my magic potion, was not liquid enough, ever since they switched the bottle size of my Odwalla’s this has been a challenge for me.
No more mistakes, at least the same ones, learn from them, for the next race, don’t go back.
I was to the top of Columbine by 12:09. This is the half way point. I was excited and felt, I can do this.
That was is, it’s all down hill from here!
Or so I thought.
I caught a good paceline on the way back to Twin Lakes. I lost the 1st 3 riders, I just couldn’t hang onto it anymore. Many people behind me lost it too.
Then, up the power line.
This is when I hit a wall. I thought it was the wall.
There was ‘no walk faster’ in the tank.
I was tired, lethargic, was worried about the other 40 miles.
People were passing me, like I was standing still. Well, I was, kind of.
I kept on, I kept getting on.
To the top.
Mine.
Big Piles of Yellow Dust. Yellow Piles of Dust are not my friend.
Well, now, it all makes perfectly good sense. Pain is temporary. And if I knew there were gigantic piles of sulfur I would have been able to bite my lip and go a little faster. I just didn’t notice on the way down. I noticed my skin was beet red, but I didn’t “feel” anything.
So I made it. Done. Back on the bike, out of the sulfur patch and rocking and rolling.
I got my Mojo back and knew I was getting closer.
The closer I got to town the more sulfur I smelled. I don’t know if it was a waste dump, the big piles of yellow dirt, some other kind of source but I could smell it, so I just ignored it.
Then, the hammer came.
I crossed the line with a sprint finish. You always have 10-20 seconds in you.
I was through the line, I hugged Marilee.
I wanted to get the hell out of there. I was claustrophobic, nauseous, I wanted everyone to get out of my way. I wanted to get home.
So I left!
This is a huge mistake, I want NO ONE to ever make this same mistake I did at Leadville.
I went home, when I got home, I knew I wasn’t right.
I was worried, I was by myself, I didn’t know if I was going to make it.
I de-robed, and I notice my stomach was blue, the top of my quads were blue.
I had cyanosis, lack of 02, and I had not one medic near me. I didn’t even know the address of the house I was renting.
That was more than stupid.
I actually feared for my life.
I was breathing exceptionally hard, even past the hour mark, 1.5 hours….2 hours, better.
A few hours later, I knew I was going to be OK. And for all of that, I am eternally grateful.
[polldaddy poll=”7319093″]
So what do you think? Do I sign up for lottery, do I need to pull that 10:40 in order to go on, or am I close enough for government work, that I get to move onto Breck, and come back, some other time.
And Master of Ceremony, Ken Chlouber, I’m serious, I want a good Burro to come do that Marathon!!
