My bromance with coca-cola is over. Let me start from the beginning. After Chris Carmichael talk event, Freedom, Trace & I barreled into my house (10pm) for some chit chat & muscle milk smoothies. 12am, had to drive to Walmart with Dina to get present for her birthday party. 2am, I can finally get ready for tomorrows race. 2:30am, time to glue that tubular on that fixed wheel. 6 hours of cure time will do. This is probably my 25th tubular job and I got pretty good at it. So far haven’t rolled one yet and not about to roll one tomorrow. Ok after laundry, 4am, I’m finally in bed. 6am woke up, put everything in the car, and waiting on the couch for Don. 6:15am, I’ve passed out cold on my couch while waiting for Don. 7:35 am, Expletive! Don apparently been knocking on my door while I was passed out. Luckily, he had his car and just drove to the race without me. I look at google maps. It says arrival time 9:30am. Race starts at 9:35am. I throw all my clothes on the front seat and off I go. Cruise control to 9 mph over speed limit. Dress while driving and trying not to kill anyone. Putting on socks sucked.
Ok. I got to Sealy at 9:20am. Enough time to put cola-cola in 2 bottles, chip and number pinned. I apologized to Don profusely. Hopefully he forgives me.
Race started. First couple miles neutral as usual. Once we crossed the finish/start line, race started. Mother of all side winds is upon us. 20mph side wind. Everybody is in the gutter trying to stay on 2-inch shoulder, sucking wheel and trying not to crash. Not what I had in mind for a warm up. People start to drop and gaps begin to open. I think before we made the turn half of the field was already dropped. 3 guys go off the front and I tell Don don’t worry about it. We’ll catch them in 30 min and it will be 10 guys at the finish at this pace. One of those was true.
Around 3rd lap they are still out of sight. I start to get nervous and try to organize a more cohesive chase. Not going to happen, all we were doing is attacking each other and then slowing down. Zero organization. I guess I did my share of hard pulls and chases at the front. Because! If you are not going to pull, then suffer.
4th lap, every few minutes, like clockwork, the wind is doing its thing, one more tribute is dropped. By now it’s 85F and my coca-cola is getting pretty empty. 10 miles out and I ran out of my dope juice, I’m all covered in salt and feel like an idiot for not taking more liquid or anything else besides coca cola.
We are still chasing the 3 guys in the front but at this point they are 20 seconds in front and they are cracked. By now, every time you do a pull, just flicking your elbow is not enough you have to take you whole arm out and wave at people to do their pulls.
5K to go, the breakaway is caught, I turn around and I only see 10 guys including the break. And my quads beginning to crap. Uh-oh. I try to raise my cadence. Maybe it will help. I’m for sure a dehydrated idiot.
One final effort, I see the 200m line. I think, I’m 4-5th wheel. I’m thinking, if I sprint now, I’m just going to embarrass myself and cramp in the middle of the sprint and crash. So, I’ll just suck wheel all the way to the finish. Texas jersey guy (Charles Krouse) starts the sprint at 200 meter line. Animal chase dog instinct kicks in. He’s already 20 feet ahead. I’m in the drops. Out of the saddle. I’m gaining, alright, alright… passed 2 guys… alright I’m almost on his wheel… couple more feet… I get his wheel on the finish line. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa….. my right quad is completely locked…….. I got 2nd….. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa I swerve to the right trying to not crash on my face. Lesson learned, no more coca cola when it’s hot. Back to Gatorade and pickle juice. And, 2 bottles is not enough. No pictures. Broken SD card. :/
Thanks to Charles for the pic.