Velovera

Pabst Blue Ribbon - Brewer's Hill

Result: 6th
Number of times I felt good in this race: 0 (maybe once...)
Crash I was involved in: 1
Silly ladies who got tangled and took me out: 4
Awesome Sram neutral support who put my bike back together so I could continue: 2
Breweries on Brewer's Hill: none!
Port-a-potty for bike race: 1 (WTF??)
Nice fireman who let me use the Engine House 21 bathroom: 2

I was numb before this race. I couldn't get my heart up past 140 and was so tired that even "spinning" out my legs hurt. This was day 5 of 6 and boy did I feel it! Yesterday afternoon I got an email from my boss that she needed me to make changes to some memos before Sunday and so I rushed home only to have my computer lock me out at 10 and for an hour I tried to get back on line to no avail. So I was really wrecked this morning and a little emotional.

The course description said that there was a big hill in it. I was thinking Cat's Hill - - scary, but after seeing it, I was totally calm as it isn't a hill, it's really just a power climb that I knew I could get over.

It's similar to the Giro as the pavement was awful and there is a power climb into a taper. The taper was at the start finish. After almost the first lap completed (of 35) 4 ladies tangled up and crashed. I thought I was clear, but then they landed on me and I went into the barrier which actually sort of hurt! I stood up (of course my bad ankle was twisted in the pedal) and yanked my bike out of the pile and got back on only to realize that my saddle was at 90 degrees of where it is supposed to be and my break lever was turned inward.

I missed one lap and then got back on. I was so spent! No one was really making a move and that was good for me. A little while later, I would hear my name called and Abby's parents had come to watch me race. that is so sweet! They have been buying me fabulous groceries all week as well!

Anyway, long story short, the 3rd to last lap was probably the slowest, the second to last lap, I got in the 4th position, and held onto it. I wasn't sure how to judge the hill into the wind for the finish line and I went a little late letting two people pass me and I got 6th.

I am now 4th of 5th overall for the series, but I learned today that only 1st place gets anything so who cares anymore.

posted by Velovera @ 1:25 PM