Kill'n It

Wow it's been a while.  Many of you sent emails to make sure I was still alive, and other sent hate mail wishing I wasn't.  I'm sorry for the time lapse between then and now, but sometimes life happens.  And sometimes 4-6 weeks of life happens.  Which is what happened to me .  


Finish Line



For most cyclists, being off the bike can have a traumatic effect on the psyche.  And I have to admit, it's that way for me too.  This winter, I spent all of my off-season training for my A-race - the Battenkill.  As luck would have it, right when I needed to be gearing up into interval training, life and weather were demanding I spend time below base training level.  I found very quickly that crying about the matter wasn't going to change anything.  So I just had to suck it up like a man, and watch my months of fitness float away in the breeze.

Denial is a wonderful quality we humans have.  "Don't panic.  I can still make it up.", is what I was telling myself.  And indeed, that helped calm the nerves keep focus.  But after about the third week of that mantra, my gig was up.  All thoughts of being competitive at the fast approaching Battenkill race where all but done.  

On Friday I was all but convinced I wasn't even going to go.  I spent the heaps of cash for pre-reg months ago.  But I thought I could alleviate any embarrassment by cutting out the cost of fueling my truck to go do it to myself.  Saturday night my wife convinced me I should go - Sunday morning I did. 

My early morning prep for the event was like the countless others I've set out to compete in.  Everything felt fluid and familiar except the nagging reminder that I was about to throw myself into a lion's den without a chance of survival.  I had a great drive up - it was a great morning.  As to not create any delusions, I even chose not to warm up and headed straight to the start. 

After a few minute wait, the whistle blew and we were off.  Within just a few hundred yards, I had gear problems.  I stopped, adjusted the derailleur, and got back to the group.  This would have been near impossible anywhere but the start.  The gears seemed fine, so away we went.  I new I had a base built that would rival some of the best there, but the thought of the first hills made me shudder some. 

About 5 miles in I was still feeling good riding with the pack, but the mid-range of my gears started skipping something fierce.  At this point there was no way I was stopping.  Then they seemed to be better.  Then worse.  Then better. 

At about 20 miles I was riding alone in no-mans land - having a complete blast with the headwinds.  Riders with flats or mechanical earlier would ride up to me and offer a free ride in their slip stream, but the gears had me waving bye-bye in no time.  I've never been a racer who prayed for a flat or a mechanical - even at some of my worst events.  But Sunday I was about ready to accept being hit by a car so I could go home. 

Shortly after the half-way mark, and after a gear-skipping extravaganza up one of the two major climbs of the course, I went to shift for a slight hill and there was nothing coming from the rear shifter.  In fact, my chain fell to the 12 ring and that was all she wrote.  I thought the cable bolt on the derailleur came loose until I tugged on the cable along the down tube and it just slid out of the housing.  Then I new I was done for.  After some analysis, the cable snapped at the head inside my shifter.

A God-Send

I stopped to speak with some older guys at a marshaled corner.  One of them clearly saw the predicament I was in and kindly offered me a ride back to the start.  Over the 1/2hr+ it took to get back, we had some great chats and spent much of it talking about how bikes have changed our lives.  In summary, just in case you don't know it yet, bikes are good for everybody at all stages of life.  Now carry on . . .

Back at the truck I once again felt like the big bicycle god in the sky was watching out for me and made a successful effort to save me from the embarrassment of finishing an event I should have never been at considering the circumstances.  And I'm forever grateful.  Now it's time to get back to some focused training.

As always, the Battenkill event is top-notch.  If you've never raced it, you're missing something historic. 

Get out there!





Bike Bling At The Battenkill