In article <W9rUj.5543$kQ3.1189@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>,
"Off The Back" <marco_fennelli@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> OK, in the spirit of today's rbr race re****ts, I'll go next...
>
> Sunday's 80-mile pro/1/2 road race at San Luis Rey (north county San
Diego);
> 50-60 starters, no sign of ST or Kurgan.
>
> We begin near the end, Memento style... On what I thought was the last
> 11-mile lap, I began sitting on the winning break of Dave Clinger (Rock
> Racing), Ben Brooks (Type 1), and Adam Livingston (5-Star). No
complaints
> from them; it was clear I wouldn't be contesting the sprint. I'd slide
off a
> bike length each time one of them came to the back. Their rotation was
> beautifully smooth, and I was getting mesmerized by it. None of them
ever
> skipped a turn, despite obvious suffering. I thought about offering
fluid or
> gels--a token contribution at least--but then decided against it. The
gap to
> the chase group was a couple minutes and we weren't going to get caught.
>
> Unfortunately, I had to let go on the gradual stair steps in the last
mile.
> Just too wasted from the earlier efforts. Up ahead, Clinger won the
sprint,
> followed by Livingston and Brooks. I crossed the line next and I went
> straight to the officials and pleaded my case. "PLEASE let me be done!"
Oh
> yeah, I forgot to mention that the three-man break had lapped me. In a
road
> race. On an 11-mile course... "Can't I finish on the same lap as the
> leaders?", I begged. They gave me a definitive "NO!", so I soldiered on
> alone for another lap, ultimately fini****ng 30th, one spot out of the
> Lantern Rouge.
>
> Now, I wouldn't have gotten lapped if not for a desperately-needed
> ****ta-potty stop about half-way through the race. Even under the best
> conditions, pee'ing off the bike is tough for somebody my age, but
Sunday
> was really windy and attempting it would have either: (A) caused a
crash,
> resulting in me getting beat up; (B) sprayed somebody else, resulting in
me
> getting beat up; or (C) dribbled into my shoe, resulting in pee in my
shoe.
> I decided it was best to stop.
>
> The pee break was so desperate because I had downed a couple liters of
> cytomax and V-8 immediately before the start. I figured I needed to
> rehydrate from the morning, when I did the 46-mile Masters Fatty event.
>
> I didn't get lapped in that race. In fact, shockingly, I won the field
> sprint for 2nd place. I say shockingly because I was probably the
littlest
> guy in the field and had been suffering nasty muscle cramps the final
lap.
> (Thus the later indulgence of V-8 and cytomax.)
>
> But even more shocking to me was the physical appearances of the 60-70
guys
> lined up at the start. I had been assured by rbr that everyone in a
Masters
> race would be grossly obese (and on beautiful $10,000 bikes). Apparently
> these guys didn't get the memo because most were lean and ripped (and on
> beautiful $10,000 bikes). I was disgusted and disappointed.
Holy crap, you did two races (126 miles worth) in one day - the pee
break is
forgiven. I'm impressed.
--
tanx,
Howard
Whatever happened to
Leon Trotsky?
He got an icepick
That made his ears burn.
remove YOUR SHOES to reply, ok?
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