Apr 08, 2023

HOW TWO OLD FRIENDS ROLLED THE DICE AND GOT AWAY

LAST NIGHT SOMETHING WIERD HAPPENED. Usually, the evening before a targeted race I'm a little wound up. Not this time, with the State RR Champs on the line...

... and I think it made all the difference.

We had takeout, lasagna and meat balls, and pulled up Ted Lasso.

It's a terrific feel good, comedy, one of the few shows we watch together.

After one episode we cleaned up and were about to wind down.

Want to watch the next episode?

Sure, why not.

The next thing I know, I'm spread out on the couch and pounding popcorn and laughing and just having a great evening.

You know what?

What?

I don't think I care about tomorrow's race at all.

Why?

I dunno, this is just so much fun and so relaxing... I guess, I've also accomplished my big goals for the first half of the year.

Hmmm.

And... you know all the hitters are going to be there tomorrow.

You'll feel different in the morning.

Maybe.

I did, kinda.

I slept wonderfully, didn't give a thought to the race. I was more excited that Andy, who just finished a 70.3 Ironman the previous Saturday, was coming and wanted to run PEDAL Industries colors.

For context, we haven't been on the same team for 30ish years and even then we were different categories. He moved south, we raised our families, I got into MTB. LIfe.

So, there we are. A couple of yahoo's who haven't raced a road race in CA for 4 years.

A tri guy
An MTBr

Unlike the explosiveness of the road, with attacks and tactics, we've been honing our endurance.

I got no top end.

Me neither.

We gotta go early.

Yeah, I'm thinking 2nd time of up the climb (we climb it 3 times).

We gotta go earlier.

Ok.

We have nothing to lose. He is crushing triathlon, on his way to Xterra Worlds. I'm already tickled with the year's start.

The race begins at the top of the finishing climb and promptly drops 2 miles to a 120 left hand turn...

... a big enough deal for a neutral roll out.

At the left hand turn, there is a little rise and I just stand on the pedals to get my blood going.

I look back and no one is chasing.

Ok, let's go a little further.

I already wanted to make the race hard because a who's who of local roadies had shown up and our fields 55+ and 60+ were combined with 50 or so racers...

... we both needed to get away from the climbers.

The moto comes up.

You're at 30 seconds.

Really?

I press on.

50 seconds.

At the turn around, I start counting and the moto confirms.

A minute 30.

All I could do was laugh.

Emilio told me post race,

When you went I knew it was going to be a problem. Nobody knows you, but I knew you could stay out there all day.

At the bottom of the climb the moto comes up.

1:50.

I can't freakin' believe it.

The climb is not terrible, 2 miles and 400', it is a power climb. I stayed right at threshold wanting to conserve my energy and get to the turnaroud before group...

... I figured they'd catch at the top of the first lap.

Nope.

Now I've been off the front for 15 miles.

I start counting seconds and who do I see?

Andy!

He's got about 20 seconds to make up and about 40 seconds on the group.

I hold up.

It seems eternal before he latches on.

Unbelievable...

... something we'd always wanted to do.

We started rotating.

40 seconds.

50 seconds.

1 minute.

At the turnaround, half way through the race, 4 riders make it across...

... one of the true hitters.

Dougie.

We press on.

Doug and Jon are strong, the other two start skipping pulls.

Doug is legit. Current National Road Champ, last year's National Crit Champ.

Jon and I have only raced once, and he bridged across a gap and easily beat me.

I'm worried.

Can I make it to the turnaround and out to lap 3.

Yep.

As we are heading back out the valley, we are moving smoothly. We lose one of the pull skippers and I try and take the other off the back. He's determined not to do his share.

So, Doug and I will battle for 60+ and Jon and Andy and skipper will fight it out for 55+.

At the turnaround, with 7.5 miles to go...

... I see Emilio, alone.

Closing.

Uh-oh.

We are good friends and know each other well. He's a National CX Champ, and more. Generally, he smokes me on <2 hour races and I can sometimes get him on > 4 hour races.

Then, I see the charging group about a minute back of Emilio.

We gotta go.

Keep the pace high.

We hit the climb.

Andy sets a steady, fast pace.

I feel mostly good, with a few cramp twitches in my lower legs.

Doug hits us.

We all withstand.

With a mile to go, Doug is vicious this time...

... I'm holding, then I'm not.

He's gone.

Jon and skipper are coming back to me and Andy is really fighting but losing a bit of ground.

Where is Emilio?

When I'm sure Emilio isn't going to catch us, I slow down the pace hoping the other two won't come around and Andy can catch on so I can lead him out.

We're too exhausted.

I'm 2nd in 60+
Andy's 3rd in 55+

And, that is how two old friends rolled the dice to get away and had...

... the best day of racing together, ever.

There's a saying,

You gotta risk it
to get the biscuit.

To do that is hard, I have to detach my ego from the outcome and be willing to lose.

Had we been caught, I'm guessing I would have been dropped on the last climb and finished way down the pack. It wouldn't have mattered, being off the front with Andy was the best.

On our podiums.