THE TMWC RIDERS PEPPERED THE PODIUMS TODAY. Cheynne won. Emilio won. Charlie finished 2nd, so did I. Paul and Mike snagged a 4th. Kevin, George and Lori climbed to 5th place finishes. And, those are the ones I know of.
I’m so happy for our crew. I know how hard everybody works. We ride for various teams, but we all cheer each other on because we see the work that’s put in week after week.
Personally, I put a demon to bed today. The past four attempts have finished with the pedal of shame… head hanging low, eyes down, body destroyed. This year was the finishing touches of a dedicated effort… mainly losing the weight and committing to my strength and core regimen.
Yes, it is worth it. It’s worth it to know what you’re capable of.
My Garmin said I hit 192 bpm on the final climb, something I haven’t seen for years.
When I looked down and saw I was in zone 6 (didn’t even know that was possible) I had just passed Emilio with about a mile to go. I didn’t want to go around him, but once the old diesel is revving I gotta keep chugging. He countered me and Fenton was closing fast. I had to make a choice, chase Emilio and risk blowing up or let Greg catch and bank on out sprinting him. Now, rested I see it differently… but I shouldn’t. Greg came through and he could see Mike Frias was starting to close on us. He wanted me to help so we could stay away, but again I was sure my sprint would take me home to 2nd.
It was no time to get greedy chasing Emilio. I had finally made the last climb with the leaders vs off the back. It was time to secure the podium.
I’m so grateful for my health, the ability to have a great bike, and so many friends inspiring each other to search for the best.