"Why does mommy's bike have gears? Gears just makes your chain mess up" Oliver Camp, yesterday.
Time for some self-reflection. That's what blogs are for right?? Looking at the results from the Stoopid, seeing where I placed, seeing some friends names I usually finish with, most of whom were above me in the table. Why, I wonder?
Most readers of my words know that I take these long races at party pace. This isn't the Weds. at Wakefield, or Fountainhead, where I have had a realistic shot at the podium. It's all about finishing a long ride with more friends than usual, not being too destroyed to party after the race, and be able to ride my bike the next day. But I do expect to finish fairly well, given how many of these that I've done, I'm only 155 lbs, have decent rock skills, and I ride a bike which makes me climb hills fast. Sure, I'm 45, but, so what...., I ain't the only one. If I have any actual "goal" in these 50s and 100s and XXs, it's to finish in the top quarter of the field. I think I've done that once in the SM100, the first year I rode my SS, with a 32x18. My only sub 10-hour finish there.
So, breakin' the table down into 15-minute finish increments, ignoring the sub 5-hour group, let's see where I might think I should've finished... The 5-5:15 group, Withers, Jamie, Litterbug, nah, I don't think so. The 5:15-5:30 crew, Pete, Travis, Kuhn, Tomi, Topher, Taylor and Martin. Nope, maybe on a fun ride in Michaux they'll let me hang, but not when a gun is involved. OK, so the 5:30-5:45 group of mostly guys I don't know. But I do know Keith, and I know I ain't as swift as he, even with a missed turn. 5:45-6:00?? Albert, Buddy the Leg Breaker, and FatMarc? Now that's familiar company. So I finished 3 minutes after that group and I'm giving myself a hard time??? Three minutes behind Brian Kenny who usually kills me at the Wild 100.
I guess I can get over it.
I guess, if I really want to get over it, I can swap out that wimpy 32x22 for something with a little more bite to it. Sure, that'll hurt a little more, but hey, then I'll get back 5 minutes sooner and have more time to drink beer.
5 comments:
You are needing to do some nice road rides, a couple light over-nighters will freshin. You gotta have yer fill of rocky path for now.
don't show for WaW with that gear and expect any beer to be left when you finish.
change your gear. You'll be flying again. You always come into form towards summer. I'm sure it will happen again. You still have a sub 10 hour smt100 in you.
Or keep the same 32/22 and just wear a dress for the 1st WAW and not the last :)
Don't beat yourself, you had a good ride, on a really tough course.
Nice job, and hope to see you at the next Michaux.
100K, that is going to hurt.
Try sleeping in a 32x11!
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