Tour of KC

Saturday

Saturday sucked. I hate this course. More so because I always do terrible. Last year I blew up, this year I blew up. 

I knew it was key to be at the front, and I was. Hit the first corner in the top 5. Micah was really pushing the pace and in the first lap the guy in front if me let a gap open and when a guy shot around me to bridge I jumped to follow. It all came together but that little move was the beginning of the end. I probably lasted 4 laps before dropping off. A group of about 8 survived to the finish. I ended up quitting after 30 minutes.

Extremely frustrating... But let's not dwell on that. 

Sunday

This was an awesome day.

For the first time since 2010 we were back at Cliff Drive. Basically the Crown Jewel of Kansas City bicycle racing. 

Back in 2010 I was a slow cat 4 and the USA soccer team was in the process if losing to Ghana. Fast forward to now and I'm an average Cat 4 and the USA soccer team was in the process of tying Portgual. 

That's called Progress. 

Anyway...

Since the course had a big hill I thought I could do well. 

Something like 50 lined up and I did a terrible job of clipping in. (These look pedals are givinge fits). The first lap was brutal and I had to close several gaps. Second lap was similar. Micah and his mountain biking partner in crime G-Wiz were keeping the pace very high and I was slightly concerned at how heavily I was breathing. 

The middle of the race was uneventful but I was recovering and feeling good. 

We started the last lap, all together I think, maybe 20 of us, and began to think about the finish. 

This race was all about the climb. It's hard and the finish comes about 30 seconds after the top. I hit the bottom of that climb sitting around 8th. I went deep into the pain cave and it's kind of a blur. One of my strongest recollections was the feeling of a large amount of spit sitting on my chin.

That's my heart monitor... How much spit is on your face... a lot means your going hard. 

Besides that I rember breathing very hard and Micah and another dude crashing. And my amazing wife yelling for me and, I believe, saying I was doing awesome. 

The entire climb was brutally painful and wonderfully fulfilling. 

I hit the top in 5th place, right behing J Doug. The only person I could see ahead of us was Jerrett but he had a big gap. I glanced behind and in an oxygen deprived state remember seeing people who could potentially catch us. 

A quick glance at J Doug told me he was spent so I rode past him. Maybe a mistake, but what was certainly a mistake was that I didn't attack him. I simple rolled right past him, close enough and slow enough for him to easily grab my wheel. By this point I was all in and we ended up having a great sprint to the line. We were both sprinting fast but He beat me, by about a wheel if memory serves.  

Next time I won't give such a good lead out. 

So I finished 5th. One of my best results ever. 

Great day.