| My Senior Olympics Race Report |
| 07.15.05 (5:52 pm) |
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I got to the race course around I’ve got a few pictures of the crew, looked like quite a spread of ages from 50s to the 80s at least! However, as I’m unpacking my stuff and getting my bike off the car, I spy one of the guys I trained with in Spin class. This guy is an animal, a super athlete and quite a triathlete, wins his age group all the time. Legs of iron and a physique any guy of any age would envy! Oh crap, I guess the race is for second place in my age group. I thought he was younger than 50!!! I’m 53 so I’m one of the “young bucks” of this race and usually these age groups are quite loaded with people. I go to the office, get my race number and get a pre-race briefing while listening to the training for the course volunteers. As they give me my number I take a peek at the registration and there are 15 guys in my group, crap again! Nearly 40% of this whole race is in my age group, stiff competition! I’m #741 the 41st out of 50 racers in the entire race, nearly one of the last to start and my start time is Undaunted I go back get my bike and strike out for some warm up. There is only one corner in this race a 90 deg. turn, down hill and as I ride past it I see some pot holes near the apex of the curve. Ah, better take this curve once at several speeds in practice to see how I’ll need to take this corner during the race. After about 3 attempts I find a good line to approach the corner and make the turn without violating the yellow line in the middle of the road, and I can take it at 22 mph, no problem, great, a nearly full speed turn! I then ride up to the one hill on the course a log low affair that rises more steeply as you get near the crest. I practice this one too and find it will be the hardest test on the course. Having nearly an hour left I ride back to the meeting place and grab my drink and an energy bar and head back on the course to ride slowly back to the starting point. I pick up the draft of another rider (legal, because the race has not started) and ride to the start line with him. I’m nicely warmed up, and watch others as they take off on their races. I feel myself cooling down so I ride off again careful to come back just 3 min. before my start time. I’m sweating and my legs feel good, warm but not tired. It’s my turn on the start line. A volunteer hold the seat of my bike as I mount and click my shoes into the peddles. Many of us use cleated shoes which allow us to fasten our shoes into the peddles so more power is transmitted to the peddles and also so we can pull up as well as push on each peddle stroke. Another volunteer counts down 15 sec. ……. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 GO! I stand and push hard to get up to sped quickly, shift gears and sit down and shift again, rapidly gaining speed and flying along at about 22 mph. Only about 2 min. later here comes the hill, I opt to take it seated and downshift, but I have to downshift more as I climb. Instead of standing as was my plan for some reason I kept sitting and my speed slows far beyond what I wanted, 18, 15, 12 mph, crap, I’m crawling. As I crest the hill I’m nearly out of breath but push over and up shift to try and regain my speed. Soon I’m back up moving at 22 to 23 mph, but seriously out of breath. There is a slight downhill into the corner, so I ease off and find my line around the corner, rotate my peddles so my inner peddle is far away from the pavement, and sure enough round I go at 23 mph, perfect corner, missing the pot holes by a good distance. Now two more small rises in the road, a nice downhill and then flat for nearly 1.5 miles. I speed down the hill at nearly 28 mph, coasting because I’m fighting for breath, now it is time to peddle again. Oh the my breathing is very labored now, deep gasping breaths, full lungs full of air, every breath is hard. I keep up a strong cadence (revolutions per minute) with my feet, trying to keep the speed at 23 mph, but my breathing is too labored to continue, so I have to slow. Nearer to 20 mph now, and there is one more small rise after a narrow bridge, my lungs burn and so do my legs, I’m no longer looking at my speed but rather pushing myself to hold my leg speed and concentrate on the finish line. I’m not as going as fast as I once was but push on, then look again at my bike computer for the time, oh my already at 8:00 min. and still a long way to the finish line. My mind goes into overdrive, I’m making to take charge of my body, and my thinking goes something like this: Push, hard, don’t give up, leave it all on the course Thom! I drive to the finish line barely able to breath, legs hurting so bad I can hardly stand it! There it is
I stand a while and watch a few more guys come in then decide to slowly ride back to the meeting place and put my bike up and with of the results. I get back to the car and realize I’ve been so concentrated on the race. I did not take any pictures, so I grab my camera and walk back to the finish line. I took a few pictures and then took more at the meeting place. I sat around and waited for the post race meeting and medal presentation.
There is one guy in the 85 to 90 age group who raced and of course took a gold medal! He was the only one in that age group, and till had a decent time 12 min. and change! WOW a great time for an 85+ man !!! When the 50 to 54 age group was called sure enough the guy I figured would win did, with a time only :07 slower than the all time record state time for that age group. I was only :30 short to the third place winner. but the way the results were tallied there was no way to know how many guys were between he and I. All and all I was proud of my effort!! Now the 10 K race tomorrow!
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posted by: SweetDiva
post date: 07.15.05 (3:29 pm)
Congrats!!
another race 2morrow?
man! you go boy!
good luck!
posted by: ScubaDiva
post date: 07.15.05 (3:34 pm)
Go Speed Racer Go!!!
How'd the Synchronized Swimming go?
posted by: AmyLeeZealot
post date: 07.15.05 (4:57 pm)
Damn! That was a good report! You are way more in shape than I am lol...that is pretty cool that a guy that old got the gold...good luck tomorrow!
posted by: xinnia
post date: 07.15.05 (8:54 pm)
my legs were hurting with you, only my out of shape body was hurting the moment I began to read. WTG! and good luck with the 10k!
posted by: BerlinBear
post date: 07.15.05 (9:13 pm)
Great post. Felt like I was with you on the bike. Congratulations. Sounds like you gave it a good hustle. I think the lesson is, tomorrow in the 10k, ride the hill *en danseuse* (as the French say). Make like Lance, not Jan. ;-) Good luck.
posted by: almsthvn
post date: 07.17.05 (4:16 pm)
Yay TREK!!!!!!!!!!!
and.. did I mention you're nutty?
posted by: jerneedog
post date: 07.18.05 (5:00 am)
Awesome Trek! Way to go!
posted by: lindy
post date: 07.18.05 (5:26 am)
Ha. Once again, I was leaning in my seat as we went around the curve and up the hills. I hope you fared as well on Sunday. Congratulations on a good race.
posted by: chicalookate
post date: 07.18.05 (7:18 am)
Congrats! SOunds like you had a lot of fun... Hills are always a tough... at least they used to be for me when I did ride. :D
posted by: pitching101
post date: 07.21.05 (5:16 am)
yopu like bike reacing do you like to watch the tour de france i do i like tio watch lance armstrong goo yeee i am can beat all of the people from facne.
