Above is when it was still fun,Below is again, still went it was fun....
Stephanie catching up to Helen on a dig to the group.
This coming Saturday there is a TXBRA road race in Coldspring. Its beautiful up there and not to mention some of the hills there are the worse in the area. So of course some of the team and friends drove up there last Saturday morning to preride the course. On the drive up I began to realize this was not going to be an easy ride. When we got there...yeah...this is gonna suck. There was quite a bit of horse power already there at the parking lot and I began to worry. Did I eat right this morning (if Starbucks is wrong then I don't want to be right) did I sleep well this week (NO) have I been training well for this (no) though I did race in Austin Thursday night though I did not have a good race...oh man...this is gonna hurt. We started off just a little after everyone else but quickly put in some work in the first miles and caught on to another very strong group of riders. Great, now I am gonna have to stay with these guys as long as I can. We make the right into the wind and it just sucks. We roll up on big hill, which is the finishing hill for the race and yeah...it sucked and the group began to break up. My lungs and legs began to really hurt and I try to figure out is there a number pinned to me? Is this the race? Why oh why are we going so fast up this hill. Hill after hill came and it just hurt...we get to the turn to the flatter section of the course and I am still there. I can't believe it. Two more laps come and I am still there and I really can't believe it...as does everyone else. I mean lets be honest here...I have 20 to 50 lbs on every other guy that was riding with us and by the end of the 3rd lap we were down to only 5 guys. The three strongest ones of the day (a Cat 2 and two Cat3s) start into the 4th lap like they were finally warmed up and it was time to go. Myself and one other guy found ourselves caught about 50yards back. So we kick it up to chase on...a couple miles later and after spending a fair amount of time in my 13 and 12t cogs....I give up the chase as I just was not closing it down and I was quickly burning matches I did not even really have. So to stay true to the Shama Cycles motto, I decided to go ahead and hit that last lap with just one other rider, Mike Rossi, and finish what I started. By the time I got to the finish hill, I though for sure I would have to walk it. My legs and lungs just felt horrible. Some how I made it to the top with out falling off my bike and suddenly I became VERY greatful I am not a Cat3. I finished up my loop and even caught up to the other 3 guys who seemed to be enjoying thier ride still. At the bottom of one hill was a local bait shop. Euan MacKay, Brian Darby and Jeremy Andrews were drinking some Gatorade and talking and laughing. I consider these guys friends of mine, but at that moment I hated them!!! They looked like they just started their ride and I look like I just got ran over....on the verge of needing medical attention. They give me the typical roadie BS. "Oh man that was a tough one" "so and so was really killing it" "Oh man you are riding really well" "I hope next week is not that tough" and then my favorite. "Anyone up for another lap?" After hearing all this while chugging my Coke and refilling my bottle with some Haterade. We start again, but this time, to the cars. WhewHoo!
We roll 30ft right into a climb...AH CRAP YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME! I made it back. More miles than I will race and hopefully at a harder pace than my race. So if anything else I hope to finish with the main group. Maybe even help my team mates. If nothing else it will just be great to be out there and support my team/friends/customers out there in a tough day of racing.
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