Raceday! We woke up at 6a this morning and made our way over to the start area to pick up my packet. They weren't really ready for us and I was the thrid competitor to pick up the information. I asked a few brief questions about the course layout and then we headed back to the car. The packet had my bib number, bike number, timing chip (ankle band), as well as a nice looking t-shirt, water bottle, and hand towl. Jess took charge of cooking breakfast and I woofed down some cereal while she fired up the Dragonfly on a nearby picnic table. I went to to the car and got dressed in my bike shorts and dri-fit jersey.



My bike needed a few last minute adjustments. The chain, I noticed had taken on a bit of rust from the night's rain and damp air, but it was mostly on the outside--only cosmetic rather than affecting the function. I lubed each link of the chain with a drop of Finishline lube. I made sure the front derailleur wasn't rubbing the chain in the highest gear of the middle chainring, then rode a bit and shifted through the gears easily. Boy did that bike feel great! The hubs were silky smooth and I felt ready to fly. I don't think my bike has felt that good under me since I pedaled it away down Newbury St. from Back Bay Bicycles. The excitement was a bit overwhelming. I felt about the same way I did the first time I ran a 5K road race. I did have to adjust my seat a few times to get things just right. My tire pressure was fine, so I rolled my bike over to get it inspected. The inspection was just a check of my brakes and hub adjustment.



Jess had oatmeal ready when I got back and that tasted delicious. I went for a one mile warmup and my legs felt solid. I had plenty of pop in my stride and it felt great to be warming up for competition. I did the usual buildup stride, then stretched while listening to the pre-race talk about rules, etc. I wetted down just slightly and did a few strides off the line--something that seemed foreign to most of the other competitors. I toed the line and once the starter gave the command, we were off!



I got out well, with only a handful of folks in front of me. One guy gapped the pack by a huge amount. Having no feel for who is good and who is running beyond their means, I stayed very conservative about passing or pushing the pace. The pace was obviously slow by typical running race standards, but I could tell I haven't been running. I was slowly realizing that this first leg would be more mileage than I had run in a month! Absolutely ridiculous. I made many mental notes to put in more running mileage. I hit the first mile not feeling all that bad and right on my intended pace of 5:30. During the second mile, I started to worry about my fitness level and I was definitely pressing. I managed to hold my position fairly well though. Unfortunately, the second mile marker must have been off because my watch gave a split of 7:00. We slowed during the second mile but nowhere near slow enough to run 7:00.



Coming into the transition area I got pretty excited. I was finally getting to race my bike! Jess was standing beside the racks and I quickly asked her whether she had reset my bike computer. I didn't want to be fiddling with it while trying to ride. She had, and after my helmet was on I almost tried to ride through the area before remembering to walk my bike out before mounting.

I stood to pedal and got up to speed pretty easily. Boy did it feel good not to be running! An older guy who was exiting the transition area told me to move off to the right because he was going past. I obliged as I must to obey the rules on drafting. I settled in at 38 kmph and maintained the same distance behind him. I could tell he was faster and his bike backed that up and he slowly began to increase that gap. My quads were really working hard, but I was pleased to note that my new wheels were allowing me to turn 38 kmph without it seeming impossible. The bike course is a ten mile loop over the base grounds, so all the roads were totally clear. The asphalt left a lot to be desired as it was quite rough. After coming out of a sharp turn, I stood out of the saddle to get up to speed and felt terrific powering back to 38 kmph.

Not more than 200 yards down that road, I heard a horrible horrible sound: the psssssssssssssssst of my back tire going down. I was immediately trying to think what to do. Could I ride on? Could I do . . . ? It didn't take me long to realize that my day was over. I yelled a few loud cuss words into the woods and contemplated throwing my bike into the trees. Only the hard work I done the day before getting it tuned perfectly prevented me from doing that. My frustration and disappointment was overwhelming. In a few moments, riders started passing me. First a few, then more and more. I kept walking in the race direction for a few minutes trying to compose myself. Once I started thinking again, I turned around to walk in the direction I came from. What an awful feeling that was to walk against the line of bikes racing towards me! I felt so embarassed--like an exposed rookie. I was convinced I had installed the tube incorrectly and caused the flat and not hearing of any other flats only supported that theory.

I finally made it back to the sharp turn where a couple firemen were standing. One of them radioed in to get someone to come pick me up. I was probably about three miles out from the start of the loop. No one showed up to get me for a long while, so I just stared at all the passing cyclists just knowing that I could crush so many of them. I had been in great position! Clearly I had been winning my age group. I gave up on getting a ride after a while and started jogging back holding my bike by the headset. I was less than a mile away from the start when a van finally arrived and took me the rest of the way in. Jess was waiting for me when I arrived and she knew something had gone wrong. All I had to do was point to my back tire.

We walked back to the car, past the transition area where people were now exiting for the final two mile leg. I started seeing guys I had been aiming to beat and that made things worse. I put the bike on the car rack and took off the tube to find the leak. It was a small pin hole on the outside tube right in the center. I was pleased to know that it hadn't been a pinch flat and therefore probably wasn't my direct fault. I am still not convinced of this because of Jess and I's Annapolis experiences and the fact that no one else went down. I couldn't find any sharp objects inside the tire, so for now, it must go unexplained. I grabbed some clothes from the car and changed in the bathroom after dropping off my chip. I made sure to enjoy the bagels they had provided for post race consumption.

One guy asked me if I had been the one walking his bike back. I nodded and asked him what he does about flats since he seemed more experienced than I. I said he carries an extra tube and CO2 gun. I'm basically of the notion that if I get a flat, then the race is over because I cannot perform to my maximum level. To me, the closest equivalent would be taking a wrong turn in cross and finding yourself a mile behind everyone. Continuing on in that situation would be purely for experience. Jess, being far less competitive than I, is of the impression that I should carry tubes and fix things so that I can finish the race--no matter how slow. Being caught miles away from the start line really isn't a lot of fun, so next time I think I will carry my trail pump and an extra tube. At least then I can get back. I figure I could change the tube and be on my way definitely under ten minutes--perhaps five even? That would probably still let me place in my age group if I performed well the rest of the way. Still, a flat really ruins the day. Short of crashing, it's the biggest disaster. To a runner, it's such a foreign concept to be unable to continue even though you your body is fully capable.


The awards were surprisingly excellent. I saw boxes with Lenox labels and I think the overall winners received small Waterford crystal pieces. Alas, I will have to wait until next year to bring home any hardware. But I will definitely be back at this event. The event was run incredibly well and the course is excellent. The competion level seemed high and I have plenty left to prove in Lakehurst, NJ. I wanted to leave before the awards, so we drove out past a few of the slower competitors still toiling away on the run and headed East on Highway 70. I will try to post more of my thoughts about what I can take from this experience as the week continues . . .