Winter Shart Tarck 2020.2

Of course, I arrive later to the park than per my usual. I did myself no favors by hurrying to get there, my mind swirling with thoughts about a vehicle I need to work on and finding yet another home repair nightmare Easter egg left by the previous owner. Also, somehow The Pie and I went down the "where do we see ourselves in twenty years" rabbit hole conversation that was brought about by... burritos? Who knows?

I was just anxious to get on with the racing part of the day. Mebbe the pain would be more pleasant to focus on rather than the responsibilities I'd be ignoring while turning tiny circles at a local park.

Partially disrobe to put on my heart rate monitor chest strap... the one that didn't work (for the first time) last week, worked all day yesterday... and for some reason, won't work today. C'mon. Fiddle with the tightness, spit on pieces parts of the strap. Mebbe it's working?

Go to warm up and notice some latency in the readout. I'm so frustrated that I almost don't notice that I'm having trouble getting my heart rate up there to match my perceived efforts. That's always a great sign.

Line up. Go.

This time, I don't gun it to the woods. I know my place is further back, so why mess up anyone's day? Some back and forth goes on with Faster Mustache teammate Colin to keep it entertaining... but, meh.

My heart rate is still kinda too low. I should be seeing 180+ when it feels like my eyes are bleeding. I don't.

photo cred: Dred

End up going back and forth with a guy on a flat bar cross bike. Then a guy on a converted gold Schwinn with 26" wheels and v-brakes. I find myself able to get around them using the A-line climb only to feel blown-out at the top, and then there they go back around me.

photo cred: Lee F

I finally start seeing some 180+ BPM (yeth), but then I run into the back of the slower 50+ class guys who for some reason started in front of us this week?

Dunno.

So, combine that with some apathy and a desire to keep save some steam and keep cleaning the A-line climb out of the woods to avoid the sharp tongued jesters just waiting for failure. Lap times start creeping up...

Into the last lap...

photo cred: Dred

Look over my shoulder and it looks like I avoided getting pulled. Apparently, when the lead 50+ guy who started two minutes ahead of us crossed the line, they started calling people off the course, to include the gold Schwinn. With only mebbe one 50+ starting the lap behind me, time to let off the gas I thought I was saving. Come into the A-line one more time, giving the rider ahead of me some space in case he failed...

Not enough, I guess. Blew the A-line when I got stacked up behind the dismounted rider and faced the wrath of the angry mob.

Seventh place single speed.  One place back from last week, but appreciably slower laps.  Fun had.  Exercise attained.