Endurance

Looking forward to my first endurance race this Saturday. The Levis/Trow 100, part of the WEMS. At least I hope that I'll be participating. Rain is a possibility and being held in a State Park that could shut it down. Also I injured myself at the Wednesday Night Races and will see how I feel tomorrow. Today I feel dizzy and have a headache.

Didn't expect there to be a race until I called the Metro Hotline. I had ridden my bike to the gym earlier and worked the bis and tris and mixed it up ending with the military press and lots of walking. Could feel the fatigue in my arms on the way home. The Hotline message said a double header, two two lap races and I thought two laps would be no problem. When I finished the first race the Beer Man said; "Go again. We're only doing a one more lap."

I landed on my shoulder and head first. A good bounce and I ended up with most of my left side (right side; blow to the head) scraped and banged and gouged. My helmet saved my face and glasses from being mangled. I'll save you a view down my leg. Fatigue, not completely comfortable with the thinner front tire on my wife's wheel and high speed down a rugged course all contributed. I read somewhere that you should ride two weeks on new equipment before racing to adjust to the new feel.

The problem with this course is two of the highest speed sections have ruts in the trail with loose stone caused by water. Extremely rugged areas here and there wear hard on bike and rider. Obviously the rider controls how fast he is going and I'm sure I'll be going slower in those ski hill switchbacks where my wheel slipped out from under me approaching the second turn. Another problem is one of the difficult climbs with a sometimes treacherous edge, is littered with loose stone and rock because of the resent rains. Not as bad if cleaned off.

It only gets deeper. I really don't want to look. After the crash I was cautious on getting up and then thought; "How is the bike?" Which was the second question my wife asked after I got home. If I hadn't raced the second race I would only be one for three. I wouldn't have stayed for the drawing at which I won an all purpose tool with patch kit. That with the new scar makes me three for three though I walked away with nothing the first race. Thanks Beer Man!

Some people like to tell me of gruesome crashes thinking I'll just give up. Or think because I don't have Elite level skills I shouldn't be racing citizen. Or talk about 'secret strategies' whatever that means. The bike is fine. Here is a story with picture and if these photos disturbed you... don't look.