Catch up on posts

I'm a couple posts behind. It's been a bit busy around here lately.

Sunday July 5 -

Don, Alex and I rode out to GMR and up to the maintenance shack. It's been months since I've ridden up GMR and figured my time would show my just how long it's been. I think my previous best was in the area of 45 minutes. I made it up this time in 48 minutes. Since I haven't done any mountain work in many many months I will gladly accept 48 minutes.

I felt strong the entire way up and even thought I could have gone harder but didn't want to push it too hard and not make it up without stopping. Don finished about 2 minutes behind me and Alex roughly 10 minutes. Both of them did a pretty good job. This was Alex's first ride up GMR in what seems like forever...certainly longer than me.

Sunday July 12 -


Last sip of water before I head over to the start.


Don up 1st, me 2nd waiting at the start.


I guess we were joking around or something. Don left, me right.


I'm off!


My finish run towards the line.

Today was Piru. I hit a new personal best...30:44! That's 16 seconds under my previous personal record. The funny thing is it included losing 30 seconds early on because my rear wheel was rubbing on the chainstay. I had to pull off, dismount, and make sure the skewer was up against the stops on the frame. Wheel straight, rider 30 seconds behind me passed me, and I was off again. I passed the rider up pretty handily. So it was back to Don first out on course, I second and now more than 30 seconds behind him. As I rode the course on the way out to the turn around point I saw Don waaayyyy out ahead. Slowly and methodically I began reeling him back in. I found a rythem and just got moving. The wind was still accept when I was slicing through it. I took straight lines through nearly every possible turn to keep my speed up without working any harder. My lungs were burning but my legs felt great.

I hit the halfway point shortly after giving Don a nod as he hit the turn around as well. I think it was within the first 2 miles back that I just came up on Don like he wasn't moving at all and rode by him too handily. It seemed he spent too much effort on the way out and was now suffering on the way back. He yelled at me kiddingly, "doper!" and I just looked over my head and smiled back at him. I finished strong coming across the finish like at 29.5 mph in full gear mashing pain, gramiace and all.

Don finished about 2 minutes behind me.