Hunny Bop 1/2/3

I'm really, really, really tired right now.

One, it is unbelievably hot outside. Two, the guys that race the 1/2/3 races locally are manimals. Good lord, that was a hard race. I don't think I've suffered in my short racing career quite as much as I suffered in today's race. The goal going into this one was to hang on for the first half of the race and then hang on for dear life for the second half of the race. I was tired and a little sore from a hard week of riding, but I hadn't had a beer in over 3 days...so I felt like the engine was clean and ready to go.

Observations:

1. Team tactics are very well employed by the big 4 powerhouse teams in the MABRA region. DCVelo, Harley, Artemis Elite, and NCVC really know what they are doing and they have the firepower to pull it off. I had a moment while trying to help Coppi chase down a break when i thought to myself: "Here I am killing myself, and Ramon and Fuentes are sitting in, soft pedaling, just waiting for the break to get caught and up the road they'll go...and you'll be tired and will most likely go into cardiac arrest trying to hold onto the back of this group."

2. Time RSX pedals can kiss my @ss. I've had nothing but trouble from them. Today I actually pulled the pedal itself off of the spindle that holds it on the crank arm. Thankfully BJ Bansham (sp?) was able to thread them back together and I was able to take my free lap and get back in. Thanks.

3. The pace is fast, but because of the tactics employed, there are still lulls when teams with guys up the road start riding the front and slowing things down. I thought for sure there were going to be times when I would get spit out the back after a hard pull, but since the next guy in line had someone up the road, the pace slowed enough to let me back on.

Anyway, I finished. That's all that matters. I think I had about 4 matches to burn during this race and used most of them up trying to chase. The finish was fast, and with better positioning and about an extra 120 miles/week I think I might have been able to take a shot at a higher placing...as it was, maybe somewhere between 20th and 25th

I hope that when I think back on this race I remember it as being fun...right now it was exhausting. I have new respect for the 1s and 2s out there. Impressive...also you guys that double up with the 1/2/3 and 3/4 or 30/40+...ridiculous.

I'm going to try to lay down now...

Cheers.