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What Jeff saw:
Category: 5
Result: Off the back
Corral Hollow was my first road race. Friday was also my first day at my new job at a tune of 11 hours. It's a startup called Timetra Networks. I think I will be spending more time on the trainer. As such, I will probably get some rollers to alleviate the boredom. Anyone looking to sell their rollers?
Anyways, I was nervous and I didn't get much sleep the night before. I arrived about 1 hour early and planned on doing a 40 minute trainer warmup. The race was delayed about 1 hour so there was eventually plenty of time. I ate and drank while I waited to avoid carrying 3rd bottle. I had washed my shorts the night before and the gel was formed in a ball trying to go into my butt. It was not a comfortable feeling.
A friend of mine from Alto Velo was also in the 5's race. I was planning on sticking with him most of the time since there were no FFBC to be seen. The start of the race was very calm. I tried pedaling right at the start without trying to clip in but ended up popping out of the right cleat. That was embarrassing. The crowd made its way up to the big climb on Patterson Pass Road at a speed of 14 MPH. I slid up to the front as the wind at the base was miminal.
The first half of the climb was ok. I didn't push things because I knew I was feeling weak. Going up the wall, I tried to keep up with my granny gear (Go Go Granny gear) but my heart started beating backward. My bottom started to go numb. It looked like the entire pack had passed me. The wind was bad and I was unshielded so things were not looking good. I didn't see my friend pass me, but I didn't see anyone behind me.
By the time they made it to the top, I was about 50 meters back. By the time I got to the top, the gap had grown to several hundred meters. I knew I couldn't catch them alone so I chased the stragglers as best as I could.
Going up South Flynn, I ran across #666 with severe road rash on his leg. He was standing so I didn't bother to stop and help. I caught #640 and later 3 others as we made our way up the tailwind climb on Altamont Pass Road. That road is a lot of fun. You can accelerate going uphill on a glass-smooth, untrafficked road. I fell off the last climb of the lap. I was cramping in the legs really badly, my crotch was numb, and I had spilled a ClifShot over my brake lever. Do most of you guys take gels in one shot? ClifShots are too sweet for that.
On the second lap, I caught a guy who told me that the pack had actually broken in half and that I was somewhere in the middle. That really helped keep me motivated for the rest of the race. I pushed the pace as best I could, always looking behind me for that fabled pack of people-who-can't-climb because, well, I didn't want to become one of them. I was worried because I figured they would have a huge advantage on me in the head winds.
The second lap was really awfully lonely. I developed severe intestinal cramps, serious back pain, and numbness in the nether regions. I kept leg cramps at bay by dumping water down the hole but generally I fell like crap. Every time I saw a house, I thought I felt a bowel movement.
I was mostly passed by folks in different races, so the second 5 pack never reached me. When it was over, I was glad. I talked with my friend after the race and he said that there had in fact been a group that died on the first climb. They refused to work together. Some people, including him, gave up on the second lap so if there was any consolation prize for this race, it was that I finished and I beat somebody.
Today, I wasn't sore or tired at all. I took the advice of lying down with your legs propped up to let wastes drain. That seems to keep me from getting sore.
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What Santiago saw:
Category: 4
Result: Top ten
Corral Hollow, a race to respect. I raced the Sr. 4 and we had to do three laps for a total of 69 miles. My plan was to stay close to the front during the climb so I wouldn't miss any breaks or attacks, and so I did. I always stayed on the top three for the climbs and covered all the accelerations coming from behind. It worked out well, since it is easier to keep a steady pace, I ended up pulling a few times, but not a big deal. The wind was brutal going up the wall, and on the down hill.
On the first lap we lost half of the field, second time up we dropped another bunch and coming into the third lap we were around 15 on the lead group, dropping another 3 up the wall, so we had 12 riders coming into the finish line together. There was a solo attack with around 1.5 miles to go a decided to go chase the guy, and so I did, by the time I got to his wheel we had a small gap with the rest of the field but my legs were really tired and it looks like this other guy also was in trouble.
The other riders chased us down and caught us at the first right turn before the finish (by the parking area), so I ended up coming first on the final stretch (just what I didn't wanted to happen). Anyway I decided to easy it down a little bit to let somebody else pull, right when I did that there was an attack coming on my right side and three guys went by me before I was able to react, that put me in 4th wheel, and from there on it was all out to the finish. I look to my left and saw a gap behind me so I felt secure for 4th place, but when I turn around and looked right there were two guys coming and they got me right at the line, so I ended up 6th.
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