failbike

After the Century Saturday, I took it easy on Sunday… But knew that I’d be upgrading to the B’s in the SJBC crits and that I needed to keep the motor spinning. So on Monday I took a nice fast ride home from work via Foothill, Arastradero, and Page Mill. Good times, but nothing to report there.

Tuesday was the race, and Eric and I challenged the B group. Compared to the C race the week before, it was longer (32 vs 25 miles), faster (~22.1mph avg vs. 20.5mph), and harder (duh). In fact, I almost got dropped so many times, culminating in a make-or-break moment on the front straight (climb) halfway in that nearly killed me. I saw the group speeding up and rode my legs off to try and stay in. When I looked back, Eric and the rest of the pack were way the hell back, however that happened! Anyway, I stayed in for a mid-pack finish (literally: I was midway between the sprint group and the guys who had given up, all alone).

No pics from that race because I was too busy racing and my Bikeforums photographer from the week before was not in attendance (thanks for the pics, Ty!).

THEN… Cyclocross season STARTED EARLY for some, with the first of four Soil Saloon Raptor Classic races. Basically a bunch of crazies in the middle of Golden Gate Park, with a keg and a campfire. At night. Short freakin’ race, and the quick onset of pain and slowness took me down off the relative ego-high I was enjoying from the Tuesday crits!

But it was a lot of fun. Followed by awesome dinner and drinking at Outerlands and Benders, respectively, and then followed by falling asleep in Belmont (off the freeway, of course). Shit, I was running myself ragged that week…