Hello All,
Its Sunday and I finally feel like a "normal" person again. I just
really enjoyed this years HHH. The stay at Lamar BC was great. These folks continue to try to do more for us bike junkies every year. Susan stays at the gym for about 48 hours straight, sets up and cleans, up all with a cheerful attitude. Thanks to the Lamar Avenue Baptist Church for all they have done. All you bent friends make this a crazy fun camp out as someone said. I did not see one bad attitude there.
I really did not know what I could do this year. I just tried to go as as fast as I could for as long as I could. Last year, my first year, I finished in 8 hours and 11 minutes. My on bike average was almost 12 mph. This year the start was great. (Side note to the many who would not go and interrupt the national anthem and
s a n g. Hot dawg, sqeeked a tear out of me. This country ain't done yet, patriots are still thriving!!.) We cranked off without a hitch and were zooming at 20+ in a heart beat. I said to myself, "wonder how long this will last". I kept this up for 10 miles or so, it was easy with all the pelotons just sucking you along, no wind resistance at all! Still feeling good, I did something that I have
never done before. I caught up with Bud, right at the place he was following the tandem. I hung behind him for several miles. We turned a corner and I heard frantic screaming s t o p p i n g !!!! I smell tire smoke and see a guy fly through the air and land in a roadside ditch. This was one of three wrecks I came upon. While I was concerned for the poor fellow, my adrenaline was pumped up and I hammered on. I was able to hang with Bud and the tandem until we hit those first good hills then it was by by. I still managed some 14-16 climbs, which is a first for me. It felt great. From there to mile 30 I managed a 20 mph average, which for me is a kick in the ***! I really felt good eating peanut butter crackers, GU, and drinking carbomax every ten miles. Mile 70 and I was burning up fast, muscles and heat. I took a good 15 minutes to recharge and struggled to 80 for a quick stop and finally mindless cranking to 90. Another 15-20 minutes rest and I somehow recovered to do the las 10 miles in fine shape.
The nice fellow who woke us all up at 4:00 am and a club group in purple jerseys wound up overtaking me in the last ten miles. Of course, I just had to see what I could do to that farting alarm clock. I cranked it up to about 20 in the wind and all those over the shoulders were for naught. I slowly caught him and passed him. Pump as he would he just could not catch me in the wind. Next the club was in view, but they look serious and can draft. Same strategy, this time we were at that long gradual downhill in the last 10. I just hit hi hi and pushed as hard as I could. 32 mph is all I am worth. They looked they jumped, they pumped and dissappeared in my mirror. I held 32 for almost a mile. Back down to 16 and breathing hard. I settled in for the last few miles. The club caught up to me at the final overpass and sneered as they passed. I labored up the overpass at 5 mph and the other fellow was going to eke his revenge also, but I had already crested and had a bit more gas in the tank for the last mile. I hit it again for all I was worth and left him coasting the last mile.
Really good first 50, crapy next 40, great final 10. I cruised in at 6 hours and 11 minutes. This is a full hour and 16 minutes faster than last year. My on bike average was 15.5 mph. Last year just under 12 mph. The fire hydrant spray at the finish was super!!
Two and a half years ago I was getting fat and seeing the doc for high blood pressure. Thank God for RBENT and recumbents in general!
http://picasaweb.google.com/drahcirrepooc/HHH2008?authkey=YZNdyKLX1vk See you down the road,
RichardC