"Howard Kveck" <YOURhoward@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in message
news:YOURhoward-44BC0F.20413508052008@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> 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.
Especially when you realize that both races would be harder than a single
126 mile race. Helluva an effort!
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