well my 62 mile race on saturday actually turned out to be 67 and i was cursing the streets the last 10 miles!
started out really well, weather was great, and i was riding in the slipstream of my transplant doctor for the first 35 miles. but then the rain started and continued and it didn't stop for the rest of the race. so for the next 3 hours i was drenched, cold, and wasn't able to open up any of my food or gels because hands were too wet. although i brought a rain jacket with me, i left it in the car because the sun was peeking out at the beginning of the race.
anywhoo, as i said, started out really well and felt great and we were alone at the front till mile 35 at which point said rain start and my doctor upped the pace to a point where i couldn't follow. mind you, this guy is legit and just got back from a 120 mile race in colorado with over 9000 ft of climbing, so this was just a training ride for him! anyway, once i was detached i was on my own until about mile 55 at which point the rain coupled with the never ending headwind finally took its toll on my body and i was basically done with. pedaled squares the rest of the way back and was passed by a group of 5 riders in the last 3 miles. i tried to jump on to their wheel but i couldn't even manage that, so i just sat up and spun back to finish.
although i was disappointed in the last 10 miles and how i felt i was proud that i was able to complete the 67 miles considering last year's 32 mile route had me cursing the bike for a few months afterwards. in addition, the big goal of mine going into this year's edition was simply to stay attached to my doctor's wheel for about 10 miles. last year when he took off i could only with him for about 5 minutes before i was cooked, so the fact that i was able to stay with him for 35 miles really excited me. granted, it was his slipstream but still. people were trying to jump on my wheel and they couldn't hang so that was a great feeling! even through the undulating beginning i didn't have an issue as others did.
once again, though, the headwind and the shitty roads (chipseal) prove that i desperately need to work on my power output because i expended so much energy battling those two that i didn't have anything left for the last 10 miles. granted, the fact that i didn't eat anything probably contributed to the blowup but that was more a factor of the shitty ass weather negating my ability to properly fuel up. i had meant to cut the tops off of my bars and gels beforehand but i forgot, welp. that won't happen again either!
ah well, at least i crossed the line. so many people decided to hop off, especially after the 3rd straight hour of rain and dropping temps. and it crystallized what i need to work over the next year: power and endurance. in other words, the essentials of cycling! ha.
