15 seconds is a lifetime. Race Report #2

It's been almost a month to the day since my last race, which as you may recall, I was telling myself it was. I felt so bad during that when is was over, I just wanted to have a yard sale and be done with it. Well, I knew in the recesses of my brain that I was never serious, but it sure was therapeutic to entertain the idea of a life of competitive Boggle for a while anyway. The arrival of the Speedvagen SS also might have had something to do with the lifting my spirits. That thing should put a smile on anyone's face. It sure did on mine. Who cares how I ended up. It's just such a nice bike to ride. Anyway. I built up the bike and got ready to do my 2nd ever SS race. I really love SS cross bikes, and I ride them a fair amount during the off season. Racing them on the other hand seamed a little, well, nuts. I know that sounds silly for anyone who already races cross, but come on...SS in a splinter group from an already disfunctional family. It turns out I picked a good race to test the waters though as no one showed! Since the 1st NCNCA Cup race was the following day, few people were willing to double up. Only 3 of us lined up w/ the A's on SS rigs. Puddinpie and I were so busy chatting about that fact that we missed the start whistle. Super Genius. In all I rode a pretty clean race with one small hypoxic bobble, and only overextended my self a half dozen times, managing 2nd. Not sure how that would hold up in a "real" field, but hey, the depth of my ego is Mariana deep.

What I learned:

• Another 15 minutes of racing (I'm use to 45) felt like, well another 15 minutes of suffering for which my legs said they were not contractually obliged to complete. I offered to pay overtime, even doubletime and a half, and only when I offered copious massages did they grudgingly agree, but only at a pace of their choosing.
  
• 15 seconds is a lifetime on SS: A teammate was yelling my gap for the last half of the race. No matter how deep I dug, or how pathetically I tried to up the tempo, there the gap stayed. "Attacking" by going from 90 to 105 rpm may not look like much, but it hursts like hell.
• Don't have an SS tubby set built yet so I ran the new Vittoria Cross VN and loved it on all but the really loose stuff. I'll be picking up some Challenge XS soon.
  
• Puddinpie is right. Take away the gears and you can really concentrate on the race, the course, the transitions, the 15 second gap! It helped take my mind off the leg cramps.
• I GOTTA get my spin back.
• Cheers to Shane. The new course is fun. I do miss the run ups, but the grass section is a blast.