I catch back on to Santana's wheel, and he's sitting in behind two other riders. I ask if he's gonna make a move, but the front rider asks if anyone wants to come around.
"Very much so and thank you for your hospitality."
In fewer words tho.
Get around them and I'm feeling like I'm just about where I was before I had to fix the problem that I created for myself last week while also creating a new problem for myself today.
I find myself reeling people in by the ones and twos. I'm climbing slightly faster than some, and I swear I'm not sliding in the slippy corners like the others. Obviously, I know the trails just a little better than someone who hasn't been riding here since this place was just known as "Catawba" and we were parking in the ditches along Heavy Equipment Road.
OG parking. No rules, no fees, no gods, no bathrooms.
Although we're on trails I know well, I kinda struggle with trying to figure out when I can get a quick pull on my bottle. Mebbe I'll get a second gel when we get over to the Green Loop... what seems like a long time from now. I'm thankful that I have @220 calories in each bottle to give me something to keep from being ded.
I'm saving my physical energy biscuits for the final big push on East Main... AKA East Pain. One of my favorite trails at USNWC, and one that I make sure to hit earlier in the day or not at all. Getting to the Green (beginner loop), I tell a geared rider to get while it's good. I'm just happy that I'll have the chance to chew on a second very non-viscous gel and not need to fiddle with my drooper as much on this flat'ish trail.
Now on to East Main.
I thought I'd be spending the latter half of this day in solitude, but somehow, I keep catching up to other riders. I tell myself to settle in, not burn matches trying to get around...
And then I pull the match outta the book and strike it anyways. "What's the worst that could happen? From this point, I'll finish regardless..." I tell myself. I can't help it. Any time I see a beard with gray hair or a slightly wrinkly eye scrunch, I assume we gotta both be 40+. I can't just let that aggression stand, man.
I manage to pass two more guys right before getting outta East Main. I know it's a chip shot to the finish, so I go all in until I pop out at the lower part of the fake river that the boat people play in, look over my shoulder, punch it for good measure, and back off when I can see the finish.
Cross the line, head straight to the Bike Source van to shoot the shit. Ask MJ, "What time is it anyways?"
It's almost noon.
Well, shit. I was counting on a five hour day, and it was less than four. I really, really, really should at least have a watch, if not a computer of some sort for this whole taking the making of great bike race (at 50+) even the least bit (sorta) serious.
Check the results. Fourth place 40+, far enough back from 3rd that my stupid self-sabotage mechanical error didn't matter, and first guy over fifty to finish...
Which makes me happy and also meh and also ok. It would be nice to have had a 50+ class, what with 11 of the 47 riders in the 40+ class being over 50... but there wasn't. I'm not sure if the USNWC promoters see the benefit of dividing the 113 male non-junior riders from a cost (little to none?) benefit (some) standpoint. From all my years of doing this, I can only see where more single speeders, 50+ athletes, Clydesdales, etc might sign up IF there is a category for them, but what do I know?
LATE EDIT: As long as the promoter states that they will consolidate categories if they don't get X number of riders per category, there's NO downside to more cats (unless you're giving out serious swag/money).
Also, I realize that coming from the 50+ year old who missed the 40+ podium by one spot... I'll just sound like the old man yelling at a cloud.
More than normal. It's kinda my thing.
Anyways, helluva way to start the '19 "season," and I managed to get a month's worth of training for Winter Shart Tarck in one day.
Right?
No?
Okay.
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