Well, on a whim, Andrea decided to let me and the boys race. We were at a wedding when I got the ok. I quickly called the boys and they started getting everything ready.
Stony Creek is one of my favorite trails. It is local, which is a big plus. It has a variety of terrain. It is very fun to ride. All of this added to my excitement as I pulled up to the park.
We unloaded quickly. We signed in quickly, and got ready quickly. The boys entered the 6 hour team event. I decided to go solo for 6 hours. The team was in it for the long haul as they were geared up for 4 person elite.
So I get out on the trail a little behind everyone. I hate to say it, but I really had to go to the bathroom. No matter, I had no intention of actually winning. I just started riding my own race to see if I could hit my goals. Since the course was a little under 11 miles with a lot of climbing I decided to set my goal at about 6 laps. It felt doable...
That is until about mile 4. I was catching up to the last rider ahead of me. My feet decided to ache something fierce. I slowed down to adjust my shoes. I got back in the saddle and caught up to that rider again. I wasn't able to pass because for no reason that I could tell my knee started to hurt.
I hadn't crashed that day. Come to think of it I hadn't crashed on that knee at all the whole season. What the heck was going on???
I got done with the first lap. I kept going. I just rode at my own pace at this point. It was becoming clear to me that goals were not going to get achieved. To say I was disappointed would be an understatement. I am fitter now than I have been in a long time. I can ride way more than ever. But, I can't seem to lose weight, and now this... To say I was upset would be a minor understatement. I pretty much wanted to fall down, crawl into the woods, curl my bulbous body into the fetal position, sob like a schoolgirl, and have the biggest pity party known to man during my second lap.
So the knee is pretty bad by now. I get near the end of the second lap and decided to pull off the course. I was a good boy and listened to my body. Hey, with a body this big shouting at you, you had better listen!
My buddy Andy (pictured) has a sister who is a physical therapist. She took a quick look at it and gave me a couple possible solutions. After sitting for a good portion of the race it felt better. I decided to go do one more lap, just to say I did. I rode out and was quickly passed by Marty, another friend from a long time of riding. We were on the first big climb when she passed me. She reminded me of my granny gear, which I think after that I spent most of the lap in. It was apparent t me that this was going to be my last lap that day... Possibly this year.
All things said and done I finished that lap with a lot of singing to my knee to get through the ride. I was singing like Joe Cocker, telling myself I would get by with a little help from my knee. I pulled in and parked the bike. Disappointed, I packed my stuff and sat. I hadn't really broken a sweat the whole day. I wasn't winded. I didn't feel like I had even gotten started riding, but my day was over with close to 2 hours left in the 6 hour event.
The boys worked hard and ended up with a 7th place. The team won. I was able to hobble out and get some pictures. You can see the rest here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/rcelliott/sets/72157621802343551/
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