Yesterday I decided to give this race a try. It's a 40 mile out and back race starting at the Mining Camp Restaurant in Apache Junction and heading up to Tortilla Flats. The 5:30 PM start meant we were in for a hot ride. Yesterday the temperature was 112 at the time we started. About 25 crazy guys showed up. The first few miles were uneventful as the group stayed together. The first attack was right before the first downhill and only one guy responded, I stayed in the group and conserved energy.
Then the climbing began. Slowly the group was spread out to a single file and eventually fragmented right behind me but we got back together on the next downhill. On the second climb I saw this guy in my race (B -race) go off the front, so I went after but he gave up as soon as I caught up to me however I had used a little too much energy and a bunch of people went by me. I slowly recover and starting climbing at my own pace. By now there were small groups of 2-3 riders all over the road. On the third climb Jeff Kluve, one of my team mates, offered me a pull to get up to the leaders of the B race. I wasn't quite ready to go with him but I did. He pulled me around 6 or 7 riders but I couldn't keep the pace. The effort had put me in the red zone and with the high temperatures my heart rate was pegged at 195. Eventually I got on the wheel of the race leader and follow him almost to the turn around point. Near the top I lost contact so I decided to recover for the trip back. My other team mate, Keith who was in my race caught up to me and offered to pull me down the hill. I hesitated but decided to get on his wheel. We were flying doing the hill at near 40 MPH. By the time we got to the bottom we had caught the lone leader, Mark from Focus Cyclery. I felt recovered and did a couple of pulls. The three of us worked together. Near the end I started doing my pulls as well as Keith's so he could be fresh for a potential sprint. We made the left turn onto the finish while I was still pulling, with Mark and Keith in tow. The finish is on a gradual climb, so I pushed the pace waiting for any of them to go. Keith went by at about 200 yards but the Focus guy was right on his wheel so I jumped on their draft. I hung there for a couple of seconds and since Keith couldn't get a gap and the Focus guy couldn't go around him, I decided to give at go. I sat down and looked back to find that none of them had responded so I drilled it again and coasted in for the win. Keith was able to get a gap and came in second for Procon 1 and 2.
One of things I learned at this race is not to freeze my bottles all the way. I started the race with three frozen bottles, one with Cytomax and by the time I finished only the Cytomax had melted complete. The other two had a big piece of ice in the middle, so even though I was thirsty I couldn't drink. Not a good thing on a hot day like that.
After the race I started to get early symptoms of heat exhaustion: goose bumps, chills, nausea and sleepiness. Thanks to Jonathan Cavner for a gel, so I could get my glucose level up. After the race, I treated myself to Chipotle for dinner.
I had ridden my bike to work that morning, so I picked up Norma from work on the way home and gave her a recap of the race. I think I fell sleep almost as soon as I hit the pillow. That's what two-a-day's workouts do to you.
It was good practice before the road stage race this weekend in Flagstaff.
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