Saturday's Market Street Road Race was a beauty. Perfect 65 degree sunny day with a tickle of wind but not much. The race was to be 5 laps and 50+ miles of rolling terrain on rural and smooth roads. The first 4 laps went smooth and despite numerous short-lived attacks, the peloton stayed together though-out most of the race. Entering the final lap things started to heat up and tensions started to rise. As we pushed,I could tell many of the riders started to lose their legs. With about 5 miles to go, there was a crash behind me which further divided the group as we entered the final climb to the finish. Started to feel pretty good about my chances once we hit the climb and those around me clearly didn't have the legs they did the lap before. There was a moment of worry when reaching the apex and I became boxed in about 10 riders back. However, the riders began to break up and a small opening allowed me to shoot through to 4th position. Wait for it, wait for it, wait for it...then the slight down hill, draft, and element of suprise allowed for a perfect slingshot through the finish. 1st place and the start of a perfect weekend on the bike!
Sunday - This was going to be a long 5+ hour recovery ride on the bike. Despite the distance, keeping your pace slow and steady still allows the body to recover which was good after racing the day before. Met Patrick and Luke in Fairhaven and the dynamics of the ride started to change when we plotted a course for Mt. Eerie and its 1200 ft of pain. Took it easy to Erie with a couple city sign sprints some trail riding and a brief water stop along the way. It was a perfect day and clearly our legs appreciated the warm weather as the pace started to heat up. Luke led a Big Ring attack up Eerie that was hard to follow. The guy climbs like a billy-goat but Patrick and I finished close behind in a gut wrenching, heart pounding grinder to the top. Halfway point reached...
The next few hours involved some great pace-line work at a steady and hard pace as we cruised the back roads through LaConner, Edison, Bow and up over Colony Mt Road. There were some sprints, attacks and surges that quickly moved this ride into the "I'm going to be hurting tomorrow" status. As we reached Lake Samish and the climb to follow, Patrick moved this ride to the "Epic" status with a pure power, vertical assault that left you know choice but to hammer down with every ounce of energy just to hold his wheel. About 2/3 up the hill Luke moved to the front pushing the pace even faster but nobody was going to be dropped from this ascent. Then it was my turn to giver as we hit the final half mile with a full on charge that put every effort into creating a gap while knowing that nobody was going to be dropping off the back of this one. Luke then rallied to the front and took us over the crest together. 2.2 mile Samish climb in 7 minutes at an average speed of over 20 mph. Nearly a minute faster then I've ever done that climb in the past.
As we rode home concluding the 96 mile, 5.5 hour ride there was a silent satisfaction that I had one of those rides which captures every reason why you ride a bike and you ride it hard. A 96 mile adventure over beautiful roads, through valleys wrapped by cascade peaks, rivers and islands at an effort that boils the blood and stirs the chemicals in your brain...It's a great feeling.
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