I took 4th overall. Jaime S. Took 6th overall J.T. placed 11th. I

don't know where all everyone else finished up.

In short it was a course I loved and wish we had more racing of this

magnitude. I will not miss a opportunity like this if I can help it.

The time trial was a gradual climb up 9 miles or something in severe

wind 20-30MPH winds I guess. Major tail wind on the way back.

Everyone practically ran out of gearing. I didn't know I had

finished the T.T. and made the Left hand turn on the entrance of the

main road when I noted a couple or racers talking side by side. I

busted a gut in my effort. Took 9th. I think I was 8th or so in the

hill climb stage 2 to the Observatory. The hill climbing was in 4

sections. You have pack riding for 10 miles. You have one portion

of climbing that gets rid of the riff raff or near. If not then the

second climb seperates everyone else. We had a small group of 10 or

so. I dropped my chain about 200 yds from the top of the 2nd major

climb. I didn't panic though. Got off the bike and got the chain

on. Had to go down the hill a bit to get the chain and gearing I

wanted. Then burned too much energy catching on to my group again.

Then the observatory climb. Are you kidding I wasn't about to let

the main group go on with out a fight. Powered on up to them. J.T.

told me he was surprised I caught on. You have 2 sections. One up

hill and one Really UP HILL climb. J.T. was in front of me 15 feet

and I couldn't close in on him or the 2 others in front of me. I did

pass one guy and overlapped my wheel to take the same time as this

guy other guy. I made it up the hill in my 39TX23. Typically I ride

a 42TX23 In reality a 27T would have prevented severe pain. Sitting

or standing didn't relieve the pain one way or the other.

Sunday morning I felt good. Checked results and I was 7th.

Hmmm... Money is $350 deep split 5 ways. Okay I want a piece of

that. I didn't bother writing or tabulating times and getting

wrapped up in to all the whom is whom because after what happened

after the observatory forget it. I mean after the second climb you

have a group of strong hill climbers. So my enitial thought was I

wanted to get rid of the riff raff by the 2nd climb. I was thinking

I would lead everyone up the 2 climbs and break the field apart. Yes

it's a long 70 mile mountain climb race. Still I don't want to be

towing around dead weight is what I am thinking. Times kept getting

pushed further and further back for start times. Delay after delay.

Okay were underway now Pro's, Cat 3's, Masters, 4's, then 5's. Okay

here is what the officials said "Riders Ready Go". I am in the front

of the pack I get going nothing strenuous a leisurly 16 MPH pace

after a minute or 2 I look back expecting the pack to be right on my

wheel. Nope way back there. I am like UH what the hell is this

crap!??? This sucks! Is this a race or what? What the hell are

they doing 8MPH warm up on flat ground I guestimate. All right what

ever guys I will do my own thing and you do yours. At some point I

was expecting them to ride up to me. I was thinking hmmmm.....

Never had this happen it's a 70 mile race long race hilly. Uh what

do I do? I thought and came up with a solution. I was riding it

like a training pace ride. Okay that will work. I looked at my

speed and heart rate. Riding at 170-180BPM up the first 2 climbs. I

decided to that if I could be out of sight that they would not pursue

me. So that is what I did. I would look over the valley and see a

dropped Masters Rider and say that is where I need to be, but out of

sight around that corner. Okay that was my stratagy. Booking around

these corners trying to get out of sight. Climbing hard in the

mountainous sections up the hills too helped. I figure I could put

time in on them on the hill climbing. Well I was just hoping to make

it to the feed Zone perhaps with out them catching me. Made that and

kept on. I didn't really know what to do other than just keep going

I mean it's a 70 Mile ride in the mountains. I am like uh this sucks

it really sucks, but now I am commited. So I have thoughts like am I

going to hard. Never was a thought of am I not going too hard. My

legs felt great. This is what I felt in my legs. Okay you have a

threshold of where you can only climb so much and the sensation of

cramping is coming on. Well I back off like 2% below that to climb

the hills. Heart rate at about 170 Max now is all I could obtain. I

can see the stragglers and pass a few in hopes of confusing the Cat 4

pack. Don't know what my time gap is. All I know is I am just out

racing alone and in uncharted territory. This A typical of myself as

I am not fearful of attacking and riding solo. It's just never done

this distance and in hill climbing terrain. In a 70 mile race it's

totally different. I liked the fact that I didn't have to pace off

of anyone else and climb at a pace that hurt or I would have to

respond to an attack. So I am seeing the Master's truck ahead of

me. I am thinking okay the pro's gotta be on the way back soon.

SHoowoop 2 go flying down a hill I am climbing. Okay I am nearing

the turn around. I am going to see Cat 3's soon. Meanwhile I finish

the last climb on the way out and start this awsome recovery

descent. I am looking at the pro's hurting coming up the hill. I am

thinking oh it's gunna hurt. Well I run into the 3's coming up the

hill. I am jazzed about the sight of REI and gave me energy boost.

I screamed "REI REI REI" as I fly by them. So then I get to the turn

around and make the start of the climb. 3 sections of this climb.

One gradual long one. One steep long one and One really steep

section the last 2/3rds of this hill. Well I pass the Cat 4's with

in the first 2 miles heading back. They're like "Keep it up way to

go". I passed Steve Knight whom is riding solo about a mile back and

he's like "Your incredible great Effort". I don't know what distance

it really was. Anyhow I don't have them on my mind I am focused on

doing my own thing. So I do the first part of the climb get to the

second portion and my legs just took a crap on me. I mean I am at a

crawl. I am thinking isn't this wonderful. So I just climb at a

snails pace thinking that the 4's have the same crap to deal with. I

am just chugging away. Finaly I get my legs back after I recovered

some on the hill. Thank you I am not done for. Now had I been in

the pack and the pack attacked I would be toast. This is the great

thing about being out by myself is I don't have to necisarily bust a

gut up the hills. I can ride up them how ever I want to. So I am

thinking now ut owe I am not really good at descending and I have

like probably 4 miles of that. Pack descent faster. Well I better

book this section as fast as I can. So I am doing everything in the

book to go down the hill faster. One hand behind the back trick.

Knees locked up on the top tube flat back chest against the stem

etc... So I have one climb over the mountain ahead of me. I am

recovered so I climb out of that fairly quickly and with plenty of

rythem. I make my way down a bit and make a right hand turn. Owe

what a pleasant sight some Cat 3 REI GUYS helping Jeromie. John

Travis and Jeromie. I wish I could get one of them to work with me,

but they can't. I took a feed off of Travis (T.Y.) head on and

eventually I don't know where,but the guy whom won the observatory

climb comes from behind me and we conversate for a bit. He's like

Your insane your super strong man. He was out of water so I gave him

some of mine. He wanted me to ride with him, but I couldn't pace off

of him cause he was quicker up the hills. Something about being in a

pack 35 miles or so I would say he's got more energy than me. Yah

that's it. Okay he and I chat for a bit and he reminds me that after

the Observatory it's mainly down hill. He rides off in to the

disance until I can't see him. I am nearing the second to the last

major climbs before the observatory. Feeling okay at this point.

Climb that section when another Cat 4 passes me. Okay..... I get to

the Observatory climb and the feedzone. Take on a 30 OZ big bottle

of water. I get to the down hill section and I am so exhausted the

focus is like a blur. I know the striped yellow line to the left and

the solid line to the right. Keep between these 2 lines. I am

dilerious just having a mental/Physical moment that isn't pleasant.

I am thinking 8 miles to go probably. I ride up on a Masters rider

and ask him how much further. 15 miles to go. What! This is going

to hurt and I always hear of the lone rider where your caught at the

last mile or so. So I squeezed out the last miles in a fury of last

ditch effort. At 1.5 KM to go I look back and I see a Red truck the

wheel truck for the 4's. riders coming on. I get to the 1KM sighn

and am like all I gotta do it make it up one more climb. Please let

me make it to the middle of the climb before these guys start the

hill. Well I finished the race 3rd. I SOLOED THE WHOLE RACE 70

MILES IN THE TUFFEST RACE IN TEXAS. FROM THE WORD "RIDERS READY GO"

TO THE FINISH LINE.

Enuthee Huffsetter was on the back of a pick up truck manning the 5

gallon water pump. I came up to him and told him what I did. It was

great to see him and conversate with him. In the years of my racing

you see. Enuthee has enspired me as well as a lot of others. I know

him as one whom can look at racing from both sides. One thing he has

always told me is one of your attacks is going to work one of these

days. If you don't go you never know. I liked the fact that I

accomplished the hardest race in TEXAS and came out of it with

renewed hope and energy. I really feel for the 3 going on to FT.

Davis. Although I feel okay right now.

I thank everyone whom made this trip possible and pleasant. Some are

hill climbers some are not, but I had fun and that is what Robert

Ford was saying the REI team is about.

Zak Attack!