To Hell and Beyond
- Thread starter Patrick
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rick81721
Lothar
That is a good resemblance. That's why I use my avatar - everyone says I look like Dwight Schrute. At least I have his huge guns!
Ok a little but no die hard more like die soft
more of a david addison than john mclane.....
Mooch Cat 3 50+
after getting pummeled in short track, i figured i'd do one more Cat 3 race - try to get
the win, and move on. it was in-reach, but i torpedoed it with an 11:30 arrival at the camp
on Friday night. Couple of beers to share, and a little wired after my kid's baseball game.
Fire was warm, and the company was good. Figured it was about 1am, and it would be a good time
to go to bed - it was 2:30. 7am wake-up to take care of some of the things i was setting up. Kindofa
dull numb brain feeling, but not bad. Legs also felt good after 22 miles of SS at 6MR the day b4.
Couldn't shake the sour stomach tho. Skip the pre-ride.
Line up with almost no warm-up, just total lack of motivation. Horn, go. I get into the single track last of 10.
#8 didn't make the turn clean, so move me up a spot! Working on going up the hill, every time there are
a few rocks, we pick-off another rider (the guy in front of me is riding clean) - we get to the first real downhill
and he brakes on the way down! no!!! this is not tech dh. go!
Starting to feel it a bit, and pass a few more people - still no lungs. Keep picking off people through the second
lap climb. Now in no-man's-land, i'm cruising up to the cat3 turn-off, and @Kirt is doing his best (insert favorite cop tv character)
in directing traffic. I said something conversational to him, and the response, "You shouldn't be able to talk!" - oh, that's right, i'm still
racing....caught a few more people on the way out. dragged my a** up the hill to the finish.
3rd of 10. about 4 minutes back of 1st. rested up I would have had a shot.
@capedoc pointed out that when they called the podium for the race, @ChrisRU queued up
Thanks RU
Nice job laying out the cat 3 course - I hope the kids get to use that, and short-track course during the summer camps!
after getting pummeled in short track, i figured i'd do one more Cat 3 race - try to get
the win, and move on. it was in-reach, but i torpedoed it with an 11:30 arrival at the camp
on Friday night. Couple of beers to share, and a little wired after my kid's baseball game.
Fire was warm, and the company was good. Figured it was about 1am, and it would be a good time
to go to bed - it was 2:30. 7am wake-up to take care of some of the things i was setting up. Kindofa
dull numb brain feeling, but not bad. Legs also felt good after 22 miles of SS at 6MR the day b4.
Couldn't shake the sour stomach tho. Skip the pre-ride.
Line up with almost no warm-up, just total lack of motivation. Horn, go. I get into the single track last of 10.
#8 didn't make the turn clean, so move me up a spot! Working on going up the hill, every time there are
a few rocks, we pick-off another rider (the guy in front of me is riding clean) - we get to the first real downhill
and he brakes on the way down! no!!! this is not tech dh. go!
Starting to feel it a bit, and pass a few more people - still no lungs. Keep picking off people through the second
lap climb. Now in no-man's-land, i'm cruising up to the cat3 turn-off, and @Kirt is doing his best (insert favorite cop tv character)
in directing traffic. I said something conversational to him, and the response, "You shouldn't be able to talk!" - oh, that's right, i'm still
racing....caught a few more people on the way out. dragged my a** up the hill to the finish.
3rd of 10. about 4 minutes back of 1st. rested up I would have had a shot.
@capedoc pointed out that when they called the podium for the race, @ChrisRU queued up
Thanks RU
Nice job laying out the cat 3 course - I hope the kids get to use that, and short-track course during the summer camps!
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LOLs - actually it was just a coincidence that the song came on. Ipod was on shuffle. It was the universe that que'd it up and I was thoroughly amused by the irony.
He taunts me from afar!
Spring Cleaning Cat 3 50+
Arrived at Wayway at 8:00 on the nose. Got to watch the temperature steadily drop from 50 in beautiful central NJ to 44 at gametime. Mist had turned
to a light rain, so I left the bike in the car, and walked to registration in my rain gear. Fairly quiet at registration, I said hi to @Kaleidopete, picked up my number,
and walked back to the car. By 8:30, the lot started seeing some action, and I prep'd the bike, and left the long leg pants behind.
Things i notice at this point, forgot my sweatshirt, towel, and fender at home. Ride away from the car after getting some advice from @UtahJoe, and meeting @pixychick and saying
hello to Art. Welcome back. Ride over to the start with my raincoat on, and plan to drop it at go time.
We are called to stage, and I start assessing the field. The heavy hitters in Cat 3 50+ are missing! Braving the cold, rain, and long drive, I seize the opportunity, and make sure i'm near the front when they call us to start.
Make some small talk. You know, old guy stuff about stopping to pee, and a couple other things i can't remember. Putting them at ease, i answer What, and Huh alot, cause of the 70s.
We get called up, and i work hard to get to the front of the 4 person field. Whistle blows (more on this somewhere else) and off we go. I'm matched on the holeshot by someone
who seems to be in their younger 50s. But rather than take the smooth line up the side of the trail, he works the washout. I never look back, and lead into the single track. My bike
is making a noise like someone is right behind me. Not sure if this is good or bad, but the whole time, it seemed like someone was breathing on me.
Into the first rock garden, my first pass of someone from 40+. Riding clean, and feeling decent, i come up on a pack of three in hike-a-bike mode. Quick heads-up and they part, while i ride through.
Everything is working, and i don't put my foot down until i come up on someone walking and split my concentration - it was on a flat area, and accelerate was on my mind. Run past, jump on, and start climbing.
Doing ok, but spin out on a couple of roots where it is steeper and wet.
One of the kids (like 15-18 pass me) on the double track - and i try to ride with him for a bit, but can't hold on. Pass a few more 40+ers, one doubled over. Says he's ok.
As we start the return trip, i'm really enjoying the downhill. Another "kid" goes by me. I'm trying to catch one more person, and make contact, with 1 small uphill then the sprint to go.
I had a funny bounce that consumed all the energy, and had to spin-up again. Losing contact, i coast in.
The cold and wet were refreshing. It wasn't raining, or windy - just a nice cool temp. Zipped out to the car to change into my podium shirt, said hello to all the usual suspects.
Came back and met @Bleeder (who hopefully saved my HB water bottle.) Cat 1 & 2 went off - the temp had dropped, and it was getting windy.
Anyway, they called the podium, and the souls that i had crushed were no longer around. They missed their swag bag! Which was the best part.
The waterproof iphone cover was apropos.
So 3 cat 3 starts resulted in podiums. While my fitness sucks, being able to ride just a bit better through the tech makes a big difference.
Here is to writing about DFL at jungle in CAT 2.
Arrived at Wayway at 8:00 on the nose. Got to watch the temperature steadily drop from 50 in beautiful central NJ to 44 at gametime. Mist had turned
to a light rain, so I left the bike in the car, and walked to registration in my rain gear. Fairly quiet at registration, I said hi to @Kaleidopete, picked up my number,
and walked back to the car. By 8:30, the lot started seeing some action, and I prep'd the bike, and left the long leg pants behind.
Things i notice at this point, forgot my sweatshirt, towel, and fender at home. Ride away from the car after getting some advice from @UtahJoe, and meeting @pixychick and saying
hello to Art. Welcome back. Ride over to the start with my raincoat on, and plan to drop it at go time.
We are called to stage, and I start assessing the field. The heavy hitters in Cat 3 50+ are missing! Braving the cold, rain, and long drive, I seize the opportunity, and make sure i'm near the front when they call us to start.
Make some small talk. You know, old guy stuff about stopping to pee, and a couple other things i can't remember. Putting them at ease, i answer What, and Huh alot, cause of the 70s.
We get called up, and i work hard to get to the front of the 4 person field. Whistle blows (more on this somewhere else) and off we go. I'm matched on the holeshot by someone
who seems to be in their younger 50s. But rather than take the smooth line up the side of the trail, he works the washout. I never look back, and lead into the single track. My bike
is making a noise like someone is right behind me. Not sure if this is good or bad, but the whole time, it seemed like someone was breathing on me.
Into the first rock garden, my first pass of someone from 40+. Riding clean, and feeling decent, i come up on a pack of three in hike-a-bike mode. Quick heads-up and they part, while i ride through.
Everything is working, and i don't put my foot down until i come up on someone walking and split my concentration - it was on a flat area, and accelerate was on my mind. Run past, jump on, and start climbing.
Doing ok, but spin out on a couple of roots where it is steeper and wet.
One of the kids (like 15-18 pass me) on the double track - and i try to ride with him for a bit, but can't hold on. Pass a few more 40+ers, one doubled over. Says he's ok.
As we start the return trip, i'm really enjoying the downhill. Another "kid" goes by me. I'm trying to catch one more person, and make contact, with 1 small uphill then the sprint to go.
I had a funny bounce that consumed all the energy, and had to spin-up again. Losing contact, i coast in.
The cold and wet were refreshing. It wasn't raining, or windy - just a nice cool temp. Zipped out to the car to change into my podium shirt, said hello to all the usual suspects.
Came back and met @Bleeder (who hopefully saved my HB water bottle.) Cat 1 & 2 went off - the temp had dropped, and it was getting windy.
Anyway, they called the podium, and the souls that i had crushed were no longer around. They missed their swag bag! Which was the best part.
The waterproof iphone cover was apropos.
So 3 cat 3 starts resulted in podiums. While my fitness sucks, being able to ride just a bit better through the tech makes a big difference.
Here is to writing about DFL at jungle in CAT 2.
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Johnny Utah
Well-Known Member
Well done, congrats!!!
Nice work pat... And what advice? Didn't I just tell you not to crash?
That's solid advice.
Nice work pat... And what advice? Didn't I just tell you not to crash?
purdy much, that is what you implied.
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