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Monday, February 4

Winter Shart Tarck Series: Race три... the Preamble

A preamble on a sub-40 minute race?  Mon dieu.

I think in all the years of the shart tarck's existence (since 2004?), I've only done the whole series four or five times.  I've turned ill every single time during the series... except the year that I broke a rib after the first race.

So why would I think this year would be any different?

The Pie returned from a marathon almost a month ago with a decent cold that settled in her lungs.  Pretty sure I dodged that bullet.  Then Nia brought a cold home from school.  Thought I'd be able to stay outta that one too, but no dice.  Last Wednesday, I was starting to feel it.  It was full-on by Thursday, but I was taking Zicam in an effort to ward off the worst.  The weekend weather was looking the best it has ever been in months, and trail conditions all around should be solid, so I figured on Saturday, I'd just do a chill ride locally.  Limit my damage but also making hay while the sun shines.

Then I got a PM from Todd on Facebook around 9:00PM on Friday.

"Pizguh tomorrow?"

Dammit.

I haven't been to the mountains since November.  I finally have fully functioning warrantied brakes on the Vassago Meatplow V.8, and temps in Brevard are going to be close to 60°.  The Pie knows I've been itching to get to the high country for quite awhile now, so she'd be understanding if I disappear for an entire day...

I'm in.
An incredible day with Todd and Rich "Rice Watts" Tsui. 

We were mostly on a route to help Rich familiar with how Pisgah works, being that he's signed up for his first PMBAR.  We rode some of my favorite trails near the fish hatchery for this time of year.  We even ran into Eric "PMBAR Honcho" Wever out on a ride with Scott from Indianapolis (who basically lives in Pisgah IMHOMO).

We got back to the car with something like 22-23 miles on the day, and Todd says, "Do you guys wanna go hit a Cove Creek loop... mebbe another 8 miles?"

Sure?

I mean, it's a sleeveless shirt day in Pisgah in February with a couple guys I don't ever get to do the Pisgah with, so how can I say no?

From Rich's STRAVA (started a little late), that last hump was what we added to the day.  Both he and I had shart tarck in the morning, so we took the climb at a muy tranquilo pace.  It mighta just been the bridge too far for me tho...

Home around 7:00PM, I was hoping that some squeezy bags and couch time would heal all wounds, but I woke up Sunday a little stiff.  After all, that was (sadly) my biggest ride in months.  I did it while trying to get over a cold, and I certainly over-extended myself.  Guessing that the conditions would be even drier and faster than last week, I added a couple PSI to the tires and decided I would just hope I could recreate the magic from last week.

Shit in one hand, hope in the other...

Oddly enough, there was a point on the ride when we stopped and were talking, and I mentioned that "Bad Idea Racing" has kinda lost it's vibe, being that I rarely do the kinds of things that people consider a "bad idea" anymore (other than continuing to write a blerhg).

Self-fulfilling prophecy much?

Mebbe.

1 comment:

#ricewatts said...

Dicky , you climb like a friggin goat on that SS!!! Let’s ride again soon and come up with other bad ideas!