Acting my Age

The RACE kids had a meet this weekend and with my guys in the afternoon, I decided that I would race with the 35+ field. Its not like any race with Robson, Allen and Keller is slow, so I would still get a beat down and I need to work skills every chance I can get.

With the meet is was a tough weekend. I was at the pool with the kids for about 5 hours on Friday night and got home around 10. Dinner, a little relaxing and then to bed with a 7 am wake up call. I rolled into Xilinx around 8:30 and warmed up well. I really have been feeling better since New Belgium Cup and looked forward to racing at the front of a field. It was my first race of the year in the 35's so of course no call up, but second row was fine. I butchered the start though and found myself mid pack as we hit the dirt. no problem, I felt good and I could hear people around me gasping. I waited in line an on the hill, hit it. Went past 4 guys to hear pow! and down went the front tire. I think I hit the landscape edging and found a half inch sidewall gash post race. Time to run. I trudged it to the pits where the Mavic guys threw a wheel on for me and as I left the first of the 35+3's had passed. They started at least 1 minute back.

As i have learned to say, "this is your race now" I got back on it pretty well and worked my way up to 21st. I was hoping for one more spot to get a callup the next day, but no luck. I changed in the car and rolled back down to Lakewood for day 2 of the meet. The team swam great, so that was up lifting and 5 hours later I was back in Boulder at dinner with my breeze's Mom, sister, Aunt and cousin. We didn't get home until 11;30.

Sunday morning did not start nearly as easily. I passed on the coffee in favor of a double espresso pre race and stopped at a Breeze Bars retailer in Louisville, Paul's Coffee and Tea. I got to the race, gave Doug Williams the tent for Curve and started in on warmup. The course was a good one for me. Grass and lots of it, but Dan decided to add some slow, very tight turns on both ends of the course. Someone called them the corn maze's and they were dead on.  Twisty slow and my nemesis.

Had a 3rd row start this time, but with the longer opening hole shot, I worked up to about 10th. Keller was railing it on the front and we hit the sand pit at Mach 1. I ran the sand well and came out up a couple more places. Robson and Faia were on the front and were strung out behind. The guys I was with were gaped a little in the first maze and we were cranking across the soccer field to catch. I closed that gap well and at the end of 1 was tucked in on the tail of Keller, et al. I was feeling great and went out on the 2nd and third laps to try and bridge to Robson and Faia. As hard as I went, I could not get them and as we started lap 4 they had a good gap. Now I was cracking a little and as we hit the twists after the sand. I butchered a corner and had Keller up my rear. C'mon he was yelling and he had a point, I was slowing. We came through the second to last lap and Keller and Frank were in front and they dropped me in the corners. I was now back to tenth and had to let loose a killer sprint to get 9th.

A little warm down and it was back to the meet for about 6 hours Sunday night. Let's just say I earned my ice bath.