RACE #2

Before getting into the monster that some conquered on Saturday I need to recap the week leading up to it. Weather seemed to be the topic as thermometers bottomed out at -23F regularly Monday thru Thursday and this didn't include a chilly breeze. I've always considered myself a hardass bicycle commuter and serves as the basis from which I gauge my mental toughness. So, when I couldn't handle the wrath Mother Nature dished out on two occasions and made the shameful calls home to Jen for a lift after work I had seriout doubts in my abilities!! The arctic blast would cut workouts in half too. Wednesday, runnin' on the 'mill @ the CPF for 45 minutes had to be done. I began at 8:00/mile and went a little faster every ten minutes for a gentle progression. Topping out at 7:30/mile followed by five minutes of cooldown. Kept it very comfy as my avg HR was 136 bpm. Friday, I had to get outdoors to see how my mounting job of the Cascadia 3 on the snowshoes felt. If there was a demand for such a craft then I could go into business. Neither pigeon-toed or duck-footed! I'd only spend 22 1/2 minutes making sure; avg HR of 121 bpm to conserve plenty. Alright, now for the Big Winter Dance synopsis which I hope nobody built anticipation for as there wasn't much to recite. Conditions were frustrating to some but ordinary to me as I have prior experience. On the ski trails snow was packed firm and the route after you left the park was granulated sugar. I had a primary goal to finish and a secondary goal to complete the course in under 5:30. The most important thing I took away from this accomplishment was knowing the HR(hi 140s/lo 150s) that best suits my rate of deterioration over said distance. At the end of last year I accepted that my body would never be prepared for anything longer than 50k when cycling wins by majority rule. I invited Chris Gardner and Gregg Robertson down to my place for good company in the morning. The start line is situated across the street and a block east which is a rare novelty for an endurance athlete. Chris would be tackling the marathon w/me and Gregg would be on the move in the Toyota like a rally car driver taking images from all different vantage points. Once Barb Van Skyke(director) sent us on our way, I shuffled amongst a group of eight holding steady like a previously mentioned while everyone seemed to be testing the guy to his right and/or left. Chris had meager knowledge of this kind of racing yet I could tell from where I stood that he was the marked man. About two-thirds of the way done w/the first of two laps I realized upon overhearing Rick Cleary yell to his buddy that it was Paul Marietta I thought I saw in staging while listening for instructions. He and I went to Centennial High School together w/him being in the class ahead of me. We caught up on life for awhile and remembered how he was the football & basketball type back in those days. He even gave me credit for getting him interested in this sort of activity(which I took a beating @ 20 minutes from his second overall podium effort). Places you take a walk down memory lane(in this case, a snowshoe) can happen under rather funny circumstances but they're always welcomed. I went thru a rough patch as I made the descent back to the chute to complete the lap. The thought of doing it all over again really wasn't daunting as my energy levels were peaked but soreness of my left IT Band pulled on the hip and knee. As soon as I got off the groomed ski trails and onto the private land again things improved w/each step. More strength was required but the ground absorbed the shock which in turn helped keep my attitude from going bad. I hadn't stopped at any of the aid stations on the first loop but chose to graze a bit at them the second passing. Bacon and chicken broth were new to me during a race but they did the trick. Results were 5th overall in a time of 5 hours 14 minutes. Had I done some longer bouts in training my body might have reacted better to the latter portion. We went 28 instead of 26 according to a few that wore GPS units. Since then I took a couple days off entirely and commuting to work via bicycle is the exercise limit currently. No rush to press on as I'm very content with how this chapter unfolded.