Saturday was the MN State TT Championships in St Peter. Though it was sprinkling on the drive out, the sun came out for registration to burn off the clouds and dry off the roads just in time for the 25 mile challenge. Last year I finished in with a time of 1:09:30, taking 2nd in the 37.4K race, so I had it in mind that a 1:15 would be a reasonable goal for the 40K.
We took the party bus out to the race, loaded up w/ Jacki, Greg, Tone, Amy, Madonna, Hwood and I. Madonna, Hwood, and I were the last three to go off so we hung out prepping ourselves near the party bus well into the AM. Unfortunately, we lolly gagged for just a little too long, each one of us missing our starts! After my mandatory toe-down at the start, 6+ seconds late, I was freaking out. I'd already given in to my sleepiness and the increased distance by lowering my goal, but now this?! For the first couple miles of panic and spaz mode, I resolved myself to racing out of my mind for last place? What's there to worry if I completely blow myself apart early and limp across the finish line now? I missed my start. Oh well. So, I reprogrammed my legs to kicking out a higher average MPH than last year, not worrying about time or placement.
Jay missed his start by minutes, so when he came by me he was ready to throw in the towel. He tried for a few minutes to convince me to give in and practice our team time trialin' instead, but I wasn't up for it. So, he rode up the road from me, but kept in pace with my speed to keep an eye on my progress. I felt like I was all over the place - my mind a complete mess of disconnected thoughts and my legs operating on autopilot. Knowing my ave MPH last year was 19.9, and my Black Dog ave has been around 21.5, I did everything in my power to keep my speed above those numbers.
By the turn-around, I needed my Gu and water, taking the reduced speed to make sure I was fueled. Somehow, it was just the ticket to start over, feeling fresh and ready for the 12.5 miles back to the finish. With 5 miles to go the pain was starting to distract me, so I tried to ride faster in an attempt to lessen the length of time left. When I saw the downhill to the finish in the distance, my legs tapped into the deepest reserve of fight left in me - charging down the hill at 38.8 MPH, completely maxing out my gears for the first time! Then, I turned the corner and chased down that white Official's tent with everything that I didn't have left. As I crossed the finish line, I saw a small clock that read 1:06 and change, but I was certain that wasn't possible...I felt like crap, every muscle and bone was screaming in agony, and my mind was nothing but a confused haze.
I was certain I got last place, but I was so happy to have destroyed my Average MPH goal, coming in with an ave of 22.54 MPH! We hung out in front of the party bus, refueling with PBR's and Chex mix, awaiting the results. Jay strode from across the parking lot and asked "Are you sure you missed your start?"....yes...."You got second place in 1:06:53!" WTF?! I couldn't believe it....actually, I still don't know if I do. But then again, I rode harder than I've ever done before.
I'm just so happy with my riding this week - 2 TT PR's in one week! I love that Gato Negro, and my super coach and fan club, Hwood! I couldn't have done this without them. So how else would we celebrate a hard race well done but with some PBR's and laughs in the party bus!
Jacki and Madonna did awesome at their first State TT appearance - Jacki taking 4th in 1:08, and Madonna 5th in approx. 1:14 (she missed her start by a few minutes, too, unfortunately). Tone and Greg rode great as well, finishing in 1:02 and 1:09 respectively. And Amy came along to cheer us on and party it up! It was an amazing time with friends and teammates - I am so happy I've got such a great club to ride with. It adds so much more joy to riding. Thanks Ladies and Gents!
Later that night.....
Hwood and I headed up north to catch the Fixed Gear follies at the track. Timmer, Linda, Theresa, Casper, Lala, Trevor, and the crew kept it rowdy on the Wrong Side of the Track. With coolers full of beer, and friends lining the rails, we watched hours of great racing well into the night.
The races were amazing - watching lap after la of races I didn't understand but couldn't deny my elevated heart rate and screaming at the top of my lungs. The best was watching an Italian set a new record on a one lap sprint - breaking an 18 year old record!
As the sun set, the grills came out and the people in the stands finally figured out where the REAL fun was as they made their pilgrimage to the Wrong Side. Racers and hooligans alike shared laughs and food well after sun down.
It was definitely the best night at the track to date! Exhausted as we were after the day's long race, we stayed late and had a blast. Of course, after the mosquitoes came out for dinner and the crowd started to thin, we kept the party rolling - heading out to One on One to catch the tail end of the bag-night party! Of no surprise at all, we rolled up to catch an insane derby in the alley and the whole 612 crue milling around. We didn't stay too long, since sleep was knocking on the door, but it was great to see our friends out n' about.
As the morning hours started to approach, we said our goodbyes and crawled home to bed. Exhausted and elated, I couldn't have slept better!
Thanks to my teammates, friends, el Gato, and my sweet fiancee for a fabulous weekend!!!
Grateful,
Kristy Kreme
