Title 167

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="02c285a1erlcgo.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>REI Austin Cycling Team</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="REI Austin Cycling Team"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> back to  <A HREF="id164.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Race and Ride Reports"><U><B>Race and Ride Reports</B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="02ad2c00dkelyh.gif"> <div> <A HREF="id164.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Race and Ride Reports"><U><IMG SRC="03b0e0e0.gif" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="up" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A>   <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="14" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="14">     <A HREF="id192.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Title 167"><U><IMG SRC="02f0e0e0.gif" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="previous" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A>  <A HREF="id180.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Title 167"><U><IMG SRC="0300e0e0.gif" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="next" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <B>Walburg Time Trial</B></div> <div> <B>...Jaime</B></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> This Race Report is dedicated to our Super Week hero, David James - who we all hope has high spirits, good luck and rides fast: </div> <div> Walburg Mens Cat 3 TT, July 21, 2002. </div> <div> Y'all know the course, it's north of Georgetown in rolling hills and it's hot and windy. There were 8 total Cat 3s to start. I started pleased and content that Damon Wiseman was leaving about 2 minutes behind me. I've used Damon as a "benchmark" throughout this year - he's a nice guy, so don't get me wrong, but he's been my target from which to judge my progress. I'd beaten Damon at the State Champ TT, and ridden pedal to pedal up and down Ft. Davis with him, so knowing that he was leaving so far behind me on Sunday made me glad to know that even if I didn't have a great ride he wouldn't pass me. </div> <div> Since REI was hosting the event, and since I was in charge of setting up the course and organizing the marshals, I didn't get on the bike to warm up until about 15 minutes before my start time. Still, no worries, I knew I'd go fast on this course and, besides, even if I didn't Damon was starting a long way after me. </div> <div> Warming up I noticed that there would be a head-wind on the last 7.5 miles - the hardest part of the course. I'd hoped to go around 55 minutes, but maybe the wind would take a minute out of that. Still, I knew I'd go fast. Besides, Damon was leaving so far behind me that I'd almost be done with my first mile before he started. Not only that, but I hadn't seen Jack Cobb or Kris Larson, and none of the other REI group was racing, so the competition looked a bit thin. </div> <div> I started, and I flew. I reached the corner at 10 miles averaging, yes averaging, just under 30 mph. My heart rate was about 6 beats lower than at the State event, and I couldn't sustain it, or make it go, any higher. So, considering my speed at that HR, I settled into that HR zone, accepted that level of pain as what I'd maintain, assumed a 102 average cadence, put my head down and tuned out the world. </div> <div> The cross-wind was stiff, and my average speed began to decline. Still, all was well - I had averaged close to 30 mph, was currently doing about 25 or 26 on the false flats, and Damon had left far enough behind me that, in the stupor of my pain, he was only a vague memory. I passed several riders and noted how bad they appeared to be suffering. I was on cruise control and everything was going according to plan. </div> <div> Then, I sat up onto my horns to negotiate my next corner, the one that was directly into the wind, and the one where, out of nowhere, Damon passed me. What! Yes, indeed. He went past me so fast on that corner that I had to check my gears to ensure that I was actually in my big chain ring, and that I was actually pedaling. How could that be? I'd been going fast. I was still going fast. My concentration was obliterated until I assured myself that the officials had started him early - only 30 seconds after me. Whew, good thing he'd gotten an early start, I convinced myself, or else I'd already be two minutes down. 30 seconds is bad enough. Then I got to the task of keeping him in my sights so that I could control the damage. As Damon got smaller and smaller I figured it was because of the sweat on my glasses, but when he finally disappeared I couldn't explain it. Was I going that slow? Nope, and yet he was gone. I kept chasing, and passing other riders who were racing towards the finish. I knew I was going to finish in under an hour (maybe not in 55 minutes, but still at about 58), so I knew I wasn't going all that slowly, despite the headwind and the hills on the last stretch. </div> <div> All I could do was maintain my cadence and keep pedaling until I got to the end. The results would be whatever they'd be - I was doing all that I could do to affect them. Still, I don't like results that don't conform to MY plan. </div> <div> Finally, I crested the last hill from where I could see the vinyl fence that marked the finishing line. It's bright white and right across the road from a cemetery. Only a mile or so left, but with a short and moderately steep finish. The 1000 meter signs went by in a blur, perhaps because of my speed, but most likely because my vision was blurry from all the crap on the inside of my glasses and the loss of oxygen to my brain. At the 200 meter signs I stood up and sprinted - well, it's what I call a sprint. However, those last few pedal strokes were like a dream of running in slow motion despite giving it all your effort. Crossing the line I noticed that I'd finished in almost exactly 58 minutes. Not bad, I figured, given the wind. As I gradually re-introduced oxygen to my brain, I began to wonder what the hell had happened with Damon. The answer was not what I'd wanted to hear - he left 2 minutes behind me, and then put on almost another minute after he passed me. Holy sprockets, Batman! </div> <div> Damon was a machine. Wow, I incorrectly thought, at least only the Terminator had crushed me - but no, there were others. Jack Cobb tied Damon's time (55:14), Kris Larson finished ahead of me too, and I was actually 6th overall for the Cat 3s (with an official 58:09). There is some solace that I beat one of the two Cat 1/2s, finished a few seconds ahead of Tom Bain, that the other Cat 3s (all in the 57 minute range) didn't crush me like Damon and Jack, and that maybe my performance was acceptable considering that I'd been back onto a heavy weight-lifting program, swimming again, working hard, little sleep, and almost no warm-up. But, those are just excuses. On this particular day, I was crushed - despite putting in a pretty good time. The number of competitors was small, but the quality of them was high. Imagine if Jeromie and Leader had competed - we'd have had a higher quality TT than the State Champs! </div> <div> However, no matter what happens, any day of racing and riding my bike is a good day, and yesterday was no exception. So, on to the next race - a stage race in Oklahoma in two weeks - into the very heart, and I dare say a gaggle, of Mathis Brothers, to race in the Cat 1 - 3 category. </div> <div> Have fun, </div> <div> Jaime</div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>