Phoenix rises from the asses.

licking my wounds, i was a bit slow this morning again on purpose. it was a bit chilly. i planned the SDBC saturday ride cutting off one part of the course to see how quickly i can get to the intersection where they criss cross again. as you know dear readers (i think i have two). i started at the back on the climb at 10 miles and chased for 10 more miles.



So I started off in the city and hit every light. Some triathelteelte, err tri-geek, goes by me without a nod. he blows through a light and is gone. but, it starts to go up. only 4%, but i am in a rhythm and his bike doesn't climb that well (specialized tt bike). i reel him in before the top. he nods. asks me about my blue. light goes green and he's off. i was going easy up to the top, but over the top and on the flats he was killing it. i think he was surprised i was still there at the next stop light. hey, i know how to suck wheel.

shortly after, i peeled off and went in another direction towards the hill. really, it wasn't bad. i think position is key. maybe they went hard, but it wasn't that long or steep. if i'm near the front, i should latch on next time. instead of taking a right at the top, i went straight as my garmin told me. it cuts out about 2-3 miles of a loop. no wonder when i caught on 10 miles later, the group was big. i thought they all dropped me. no way all of them beat me up that climb.

i piddled about the rest of the route to the coast and back home. i did a few hard efforts. out of no where, some dude is on my wheel. i wave. he is sitting in. did he chase me down and is resting? did he just start out? is he a beast. i didn't see really what he looked like as we approached "El Guapo" (Celts up by one). i catch some older lady at the bottom, then ride over the piece of metal i have every day for a week. i need to just stop and throw it to the side.

so, i decide to just spin up. i hear "click". i'm moving good. it is hard. i'm sure my friends back home would dust me, but i know this is a long climb. i'm spinning away. i'm breathing hard, but steady. good rythm. he hear nothing. i think i dropped him, but he could come back. concentrate... it was a zen moment. not my fastest climb, but i was just in the zone. not attacking, just happy. i look down, and i still have a gear to go. hey, pretty good. i look back and i put some time on my quarry. i am now at the steepest part. it levels near the top. time to try some bigger gears. nice. not attacking, but power is still there.

at the top, i slow and he eventually catches me. he is stocky, but muscular and is SLAMMING now that it is flatter. i struggle to keep up. we chat a bit. he is pretty powerful. then i head for home. 46 miles today. i finally beat someone other than norton to the top of a climb.

time to hit the buffet and happy hour before going to work.

aloha.