As CJ posted, it was hot. Hot, windy, and dry. Great for biking, not so great for running. Mix the two and you get an interesting experience.

Start was good–wasn’t going for the hole, just wanted to be up there. 4th into the first sweeping right curve, faded a bit, then back on at the base of the first run up. Running was definitely faster (than a 42×25) and I found myself at the front at the top. Nice treat in the first race on the new machine. Held it into lap two, then started to fade in the windy sections. Tucked in to recover, and was able to hold top five for the first half of the race. Then the bottom started falling out.

If you’ve every been dehydrated, you know the odd experience of shivering on a hot day, a day when you know you’re overheated and running low on fluids. Spent the last two laps shivering. Not uncontrollably, but enough to know I was in trouble. Tried keeping the pace up to protect a top 10 and grabbing water each lap, but no dice. Got passed by two on the first run-up on the last lap, had a gap to the next guy, but he got me on the final finish run-up. If the line had been 25 meters farther, I would have passed out from the effort. As it was, I could barely see the tape along the side before lifting myself and bike over and falling to the shaded ground. Took more than 5 minutes to feel alive and human again. Then began the long slow process of rehydrating without feeling sick.

Stats for all you number junkies: race time was 46:59; max HR was 190 (highest I’ve seen it all year!); ave HR was 177 (my medically tested AT is 173); 12th overall, 9th in Cat 3/4, just shy of points.

Now that’s what I call racing. When’s the next one?

andy