Sunday, July 12, 2009

Good Weekend

Snowbird is always under appreciated, due to it being hard and the DH f Sketch (BTW, Brad Newby has the copyright to that name) Well for 2009, SNowbird added some new one track, rumor has it it was a requirement for Specialized to do its 2010 roll out to the Press Corps 2 weeks ago and to dealerss this week, so new One track on the climb to replace the steep, head down and suffer climb. Sadly, that climb was good for me, cause I like to suffer, well, not really.

We had about 12 at the start, including a guy in a Specialized kit who ended up being the SPecialized Rep from China, he was all smiles and taking picures while we were staged, There is a mere 400 yards before teh single track and I wanted to get in early, I knew Sam would go first, so I had to gas it a bit to get around BK. The new onetrack started with a big ring speed section, and I didn't want to be 'held' up by his single gear, you know, small victories matter, to me.
Here I am thinking, I gotta get around this luddite NOW!!!!

BK then got around me halfway or so up the new one track, Chris B came around towards the topthe DH was the DH, didn't lose a spot and mostly held onto Chris B. When I had passed the Gad base and was headed up teh steep road before the onetrack traverse to the finish, I could saee Karl and Tim about 30 or so seconds back. I went through the Start/finish line for lap one of 4 at 26:18, Uh Oh.

Lap 2, it rained, luckily I had embracted during the prerace rain, so my legs were warm. Karl was not too far behind once we hit the one track climb to the top, and again at the same place I saw him on Lap one at the bottom, he was still 30 seconds or so back, on the one track traverse, Chris B had a mechanical, his day was over. I WAS NOT IN THE TWETY CHAIR, for the time being. Lap 2 was 27:52, more reasonable.

LAp 3, still raining, Karl was still right there, I could catch glimpses of Sam and BK way up on the climb, nd again at the same place I saw him on Lap one at the bottom, he was now about 45 seconds back. Lap 3 was 28:43, please don't blow up.

Lap 4, rain stopped, legs on fire from embrocation now. I rode the 4th lap as smart as I could, passing people as much as I could and 'attacking' steep climbs, where prior laps I spun them, I then spun the rough one track climb sections and DH'd the DH of sketch carefully, at the appointed bottom, Karl was nowhere in sight, part of me said, whew, but another part hoped he was ok, cause that DH takes victims regulary. I atttacked the One track traverse like someone was on my wheel, for training purposes as well as knowing that anything can happen, I had lost my C02 and quick stick earlier in the race, so a flat would of had me running (walking) my bike. Came across in 3rd. Last lap 28:39. whew.  Sam is right next to certifiably nuts in the way he hits the DH and BK, well, mutant.

No tweety chair, Karl didn't even show to the awards to claim the tweety chair, I hope he is ok. The Cross Doc had a few meetings with the dirt as well, one pre-race. Hope he is ok. 

Lyna took some phots of the 2nd wave races, but was also passing bottles. Check em here. Search by name or number.

Saturday evening I met Mark at Rio Tinto to watch Real Salt Lake play Club America, 1st half we sat in the sun, and my legs were quite post embrocation hot, 0-0 at the half, e head to the other side where a co-workers of Mark's sits and had 2 empty seats next to him, end of game RSL1- CA0, totally unexpected, chippy game, lots of fouls and the like. Thanks Mark, that was fun.

Sunday, E-Pow and Ken Costavich go ride without me, early (I like sleeping in post race, sue me, I'm old). SO Lyna and I head to Eggs in the City for Brunch, I come home, take a nap, mm nap, then at 4 I get motivated and mount up the Zaskar and head towards Mill Creek, I kept climbing, hit the pipeline up at Church Fork, dang I forgot how steep that was, I have to bail to the road at the next access point to re fll water bottles, then head back up the Piepline to elbow fork, then up the road to the Big Water parking area, I decided that if I was already there I may as well go up to dog lake, so I did, at this point I was 2.5 in and was tired, but the DH made that all go away, until Rattlesnake Gulch, which is not friendly 3+ hours into a post race day ride, with losse rocks, and dust, but I made it down without any falls or blood. Ran into the Oilcan walking his pups on my way down from dog lake.

Nice ride profile.
I may slee well tonight.

2 comments:

drrna said...

Good job. For the record, I thought the Snowbird course was OK. The sketch downhill is kind of a non-issue, its over quickly.

Anonymous said...

church fork is a mighty steep climb!!!