Infinite MonkeysA big time trial scheduled for this past weekend here in AZ was cancelled. My team decided to hold an unofficial time trial on the course we use for the stage races we promote each year (Sun Valley Parkway - 1 mile north of I-10 exit 109). On the club's listserve for Category 4 riders (Cat 1 = fastest / Cat 5 = slowest newbies) someone asked how the TT went. I decided to write up my reply as an entry for the club's newsletter. A little saccharin, a little inside baseball, but that's what gets you chosen by the editor.
I was the odd man out. I showed up to find that the other riders were:
Brian Lemke [Cat 1, former national champion, Regional Mens' Team Captain]
Don Williams [former pro and frequent Masters winner]
Chuck Higgins, and [Masters rider, very fast]
Maggie Williams [Cat 1 Women's Regional Team captain]
...all with their TT specific superbikes. I had my one road bike, w/ aerobars slapped on and the seat raised & shoved forward.
The 40k warm up was fast. We held together as a group on the first 20k, checked out the turnaround and then everyone stretched out for the second 20k. I brought up the rear. For a while Maggie was taking it slowest, but Brian went back and asked her to do an interval behind him. They shot by me at about 33 mph. (insert bullet sound here)
The others took off first, doing the 40k TT while I did the 20. At about 8 or 9k I caught Maggie, as she sat up, feeling no power - worn out from hard training the day before. As I entered the 20k turnaround I thought, "hmmm, if I cut it close around the median I won't really be going 20k and I want to have a time I can compare in the future." So I tried to guess where in the middle of the break between the medians the cone would usually be. I was off the aerobars and on the hoods at about 16 mph through te turn when WOOP! Wha? Slipping, sliding, can I save this? I began to think that if I went down at that moment at least it would be a relatively clean fall, in line with what we practiced at the bike handling skills class last winter. In the slow motion of my wobbly sliding I just began to imagine how crazy and gangly my fall could be, but that another attempt to right myself was just barely possi - CRASH! WHAM!
I never saw the black gravel until I was sitting in it. Of course, the spot with the highest concentration of pebbles was exactly the line I had tried to take through the u-turn. Maggie abandoned her 40k and rode over to check me out. She helped me gather myself back together and after seeing the small dent in the side of my helmet, made sure I knew what day it was. As we rode back to the cars together Maggie kept a casual diagnostic going, asking me about my new promotion and my kids. We had a good chat on the way back. Her account of witnessing my turn was funny. "I saw you go into the turn, but never saw you come out!" Back at the cars she made sure I rinsed out my cuts and scrapes with clean water.
Additionally, I was helped by Maggie's assurance that my fall could have happened to anyone. I had felt honored that folks I consider some of the club's best and brightest were willing to have me riding in the group with them, even when we were all on the aerobars. I've only ever been treated with welcome and respect by White Mountain Road Club, and particularly by the people I was riding with that day, but in my head I still kind of felt like "the newbie." I was pretty embarrassed to have crashed. But as the others came in from their 40k's, they were more than gracious about it. Brian gave me some reminders about how to best treat the bruised hip I was downplaying. Was he ever right! [It's about 4 different colors as I type.]
So, all in all, not the best day. But I got in a good workout. I learned a lesson or two. I'm not hurt bad enough to miss any time on the bike. And I did have one of those experiences you can't plan for - I learned once again that we have some mighty good folks in this club.
-Brad
Cat 4 tall guy