"KEMAH's You Want Some"

Met Mark and Allen at the Kemah, I was finally feeling my strength coming back, ever since the Snow board trip I'd been riding so weak.

Manged an average 800watts for 30 seconds on the 4th climb and a 573 watt average for a minute some where during the ride.

I think the build process started Last Saturday, Me and Mark went to the Kemah on our MTB to throw down a few. Man I was not expecting the beat down we leashed upon each other. I would take off and he would be right there and about half way he or I would pull away but then the other would just reel back in we repeated this act to many times.

My heart was just blowing up and me and him where trying to kill each other. I think I called mercy first not wanting to complete the 12 we had set out for I think we did 6 or 8. But the intensity was there, and it was great priming for Sunday.

Sunday we did a easy 75 mile ride with a few short intervals and then some long lets go fast until a light stops us intervals.

I worked out a few bugs that had developed in my pedaling stroke, I was starting to get some pain on the medial edge of my knee cap. Actually it had become excruciating at times, and I was initially thinking over use. Come to find out I was pointing to much and when I started ankeling the pain went away, on the ride it was like night and day. Not extreme ankeling but just keeping my feet flat and not tensing up my calves and pointing my toes.

Mas o Menos

As usual I start my first MTB race after I get back from snow boarding.
Thank the power meter for showing me how far I had fallen.


The start was uneventful, got into a grove and got my hydrating started.




1.5hrs into the race and I already had to go. So I stood up on a jeep rode descent pulled up the left spandex and let it go. easy enough 1 goal accomplished.

Not even a lap down and I could already feel the signs of cramping. I saw Alyssa at the airport feed zone and she handed me off 2 bottles and I left her my camel back. Had to stop for awhile but man the camel back helped a ton, so easy to sip on during the single track.

Well now here comes the Tres curves and man was it a killer I swore it was steeper this year, the pain of the climb is sheer beauty in retrospect.

I managed the whole thing in my 26 teeth rear chain ring man I was wishing for a 32 or at least a 28. This was my first year to climb the whole thing with out coming off the bike, I actually never came off the bike the whole race. goal 2 accomplished I did have to stop 3 times though but that wasn't on the climbs it was in in flats when my legs would just start cramping so hard they would lock up.

Well now I'm descending after the big climb and I notice that I'm going to beat my last years lap time. So I start really punching it and ended up taking a Pete Rose slide on a tight left turn near the end but was back on the bike in 2 seconds not even enough time for the following rider to get by, he probably slowed up a bit after seeing me go down Justin Burger was his name ended up doing the whole race with him "very cool guy".

I ended up doing the first lap in 2:27:12 a couple minutes faster than the year before. Goal 3 accomplished.
The two gentlemen that beat me http://tmbra.org/results/spring_07/terlingua/ssm19.html
where only doing the one lap WTF .

Alyssa was there again what an Angel, I stop ed put on the camel pack grab ed a bottle of water and the infamous SPAGHETTI BOTTLE, MMMM GOOD.

The guy that I had been racing next to had started on his potato while I consumed my vigorously stired and well watered down cold bottle of spaghetti God I Love racing......

The last lap I spent going in and out of muscle spasms, starting in my thigh then hamstring and even once my left toes were going on lock down with no way of reaching down to pull up, and no way was I stopping to stretch again. Once the race was over I realized I was way over hydrating (3 flow breaks is just way to many) and my electrolytes were to low the last feed at the airport "The Kid" gave me 2 Gues and a 2 bottles, I think my subconscious led the way from there once it saw 3X the sodium because, I consumed that one first and then the other. I still had a full bag of Shotblocks which I passed off to a rider that was going away from the Tres curves. A couple riders just quit on there second lap once the saw Tres Curves again. I was wondering if I would be able to climb it again myself, I stop'd at the bottom stretched the hams then thighs, and got back on.

The weirdest thing about racing when your body's breaking down, is it's like driving a piece of shit car on a cross country road trip and parts just keep breaking down but all you have is duct tape and tools till you get to your destination.

It's times like these that make you laugh at yourself.

5:05:48 That was my final time which happened to be several minutes faster than my year before time. Final Goal Accomplished.

I was so glad to see Alyssa at the end and just chill out in a chair and eat WARM fresh Speghetti.