slipping

behind in the posts and updates.
I'll get around to writing about the big ride soon.

Tonight, the day after ~156 miles I hit the TT.  8 Miles.

Parked at the Corn Crib.  Last car parked there.  Drove past everyone else headed up. Kellogg was there.  Potter too.  Eddie O was riding over with them.  Three fast old dudes.  Eddie's kind of my speed, Potter has only been beaten by Jonny Bold IIRC (i'll look later).  Fast.  Kellogg? never count that guy out. Genetics and training combined.

I get parked, toss saddle bag on with the $5 bill and the car key, strap the blue tear drop on my head (more like stretch it over my head) and head into the light breeze to the start.

Get there in time.  Line up based on last week's times, and fortunately the guy ranking everyone stuck Potter as sweep and Kellogg in front of him.  I had a nice couple minute cushion on those two starting in front of Kirk, Derdowski and Eddie.

Legs felt odd, not dead, not sore, actually felt okay.

Plan was to take it easy for the first half.  Save the legs. Use the down hill to get the Avg speed up.  Started adding power at Subway.  Three cars caused me to stop pedaling and move to the brakes over the course of the race, unclipped and used my toe to brush the tires after plowing through a crystaline sea of glass, took a drink of the water bottle on the slight dip before 118 turns south.

And motored.  Caught a glimpse of my 1 min man as I turned on to reynolds.  Caught up w/in striking distance by the top of Peck (Reynolds still hurt like a monster sonofabitch) but it didn't destroy me like last week.  On the descent I got close, not in the draft but I got going fast enough that it wasn't worth the effort to pass.

Until it leveled out.  And I cranked and huffed and puffed past.  Hit the last turn (lifted a hand to shield my eyes so I could see what was there - nothing -) and then Dan came around.  And we sprinted.  I dug and dug and dug but ceded a couple bike lengths.  I was spent. Not another turn of the pedals in the legs.

19:04.  Kellogg wasn't much faster.  Potter was just under 18.   I hit the third spot on the podium, again.

Fox took home the fat envelope of cash.  A lot of folks showed up tonight.  Was good.

Felt pretty awesome on the bike honestly.  I should do 156 mile rides before a TT more often.
heddwch
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