Suck It Up, Jim

Is what Julie Ann (Women's Category 1) said to me at a rest stop on Tuesday's ride.  A group of us met at the local SBX and we headed up to the Red Rock Canyon Loop and parts beyond.  The majority of the riders were from the Allegiant Air racing club, Julie, myself, and a couple of others.  When we hit the loop, a young rider named Ken took off on his own.  I might have done the same, but I've only just returned to riding hard, and haven't honed my climbing skills since October (I've only returned to climbing in any fashion this December).  What happened on the way up is that one by one everyone else dropped off my pace and it was Ken ahead of me, and everyone else behind.  I was closing in on Ken when he hit the false summit.  That's where I typically stand up and upshift and kick the last couple of hundred yards to the top, and I expected to close in on him because that's also the spot where the locals sit up and relax, as that last 10% upgrade is a killer.  Not so.  It seems that Ken has the same proclivities as I do, and he kicked it up a notch there too, so I came in about ten or fifteen seconds behind him.  I was feeling out of shape and didn't expect to come in where I did.  Unfortunately I had a Garmin malfunction (read that, user error) and didn't get a time for the climb.  Judging from the last timed climb done two days prior, I'd have to say that Tuesday's climb was in the ball park of my three or four fastest trips up the Loop.  We regrouped and began the descent.  It was fast and furious leading into the Wall (a short but very steep kick up on the way down, about 11%), and it was a maximal effort to stay with the leaders.  Shortly before the last fast downhill section there is another longish grade (about 7%) that puts everyone up off the saddle and again it becomes a contest to see who can put the screws to everyone else.  These kinds of grades require a lot of strength and power, and don't necessarily favor the climber in for the long haul.  We were shedding riders all the way to the false flat and I had become the new "end of the pack" when Javier punched it, and then Julie came through and punched it again.  I came off there and had to chase with a vengeance down the last stretch back to the highway.  I finally caught them where the road started tilting back up again, and on we went down to Blue Diamond.  We typically take a short break there and refuel.  That's where I mentioned that "someone punched it near the top of that grade, and you, Julie, had to go and do it one more time!"  I could have handled the first one, but it was the second hard acceleration that got me.  She turned and said, "Suck it up, Jim!"  And she's right.  Climbing by itself does not make one a bike racer.  It helps, but it's still speed, strength, power, and the willingness to use it at the right moment that can make the race come together, and that moment saw several of us come off the back.  Sure, I might have been the last one to come off, but I was still off, and had all the wind to myself.  If I was to get back on, it would be at my own expense.  Ah, the lessons of pre-season training!

Yesterday and today I was treated to cold, windy conditions.  Thirty five degrees Fahrenheit (1.6 C) today with winds out of the north at 22 mph (35 k/h), gusts to 41 mph (66 k/m).  I'm beginning to believe that the bicycle is an instrument of mortification rather than an instrument of joy and pleasure!  Six days straight of rain and wind, and now wind and cold.  Yes, yes, I know it's way worse in (pick your location).  I'm just sayin'...

I'm going to count the golf balls between now and Sunday (I'm heading out to Death Valley for a couple of days... , yes, it's cold there too.  Here's a thought:  on my other blog (and my other life) I post photographs.  I make greeting cards from the prints on acid free paper and archival quality ink.  They sell for $5 in local stores.  If you are the winner, you might peruse the pictures; look around, there's nearly two years worth on there and they are good, if I may say so myself.  I'd be willing to either a) make a set of five greeting cards, or matte an 8x12 inch print.  If that doesn't suit you, well, I could always ship the balls to you!

(Almost) Year End Stats:
Miles (so far) this year:  13,913 (22,399 km)
Miles (so far) this month: 1176 (1893 km)
Lifetime: 418, 907 (674, 440 km)