First Blood

This is going to hurt

Did my first intensity since NBX cross back in December. Basically I've just been riding. I've noticed I have no speed and zero ability to ramp it up into the red zone. No big deal right, its not even April. But it was time. I hit the CRW Haus of Pain ride last saturday. That ride is part circus freak show/part throwdown tuff ride. You never know what you are going to get. One weekend you have dudes on recumbents trying to prove some engineering algorithim that aerodymanics trump power and style in a pack of actual cyclists...God I hate recumbents...next weekend you get a good crew just looking to do a gentleman's ride, and then you have weekends like this one. People just wanted to kill each other. Chalk it up to a long winter and guys with way too much pent up testosterone but it was ugly. But perfect for shocking the system and reminding the body how to respond in race situations. 

Met E at staging. Opted for the 2nd "slow"group. Seemed cool. Didn't see anybody I knew but a bunch of familiar colors. 3 IBCers, 2 Crack O Dawn of the deaders, and I might add I like the new kit!, and a bunch of other guys. Rolled out super mellow. Obviously too mellow as we somehow were caught by the group behind us. When we hit south street we were probably 40 riders. Not good. I had no idea what was going on as I was up front. 

Nice new Crack of Dawn kits out at High Noon

One of the Crack O Dawn boys looks over at me and says "wow what a mellow day, I think I'll just cruise in the back." Lesson #1 in group riding: when a rival says he's going to ride mellow he is about to kick you in the face with a Chuck Norris style round house kick. He slips back and then slingshots of the front with his teammate. 

Eli Rolling with the Sycip/3 Pillar kits

We go from 15 mph to 30 in a mili-second. We kill each other for what seems like miles....finally at a forced stop, ie., stop sign we collect ourselves. E comes up and gives me "did you do that?" All I can offer is a shrug and a mumbling "don't look at me" through my gasping for air and wanting to puke. The rest of the ride is just one throw down after another. All bets are off. People riding crazy 4 across the road. I was really encouraged when one of the IBC riders who was clearly irritated and getting more so by the minute muttered under his breath "these idiots are riding like a bunch of damn cat 5s" Awesome! I guess I don't need to be afraid of racing cat 5 at Battenkill, because it can't get much worse than this--I should be all set!

So mission accomplished. The rust has been blown out of the pipes enough so my body remembers how to suffer. Because it clearly forgot how somewhere back in February. 19 days until BK and two more chances to hit the House of Pain ride before the real Hell unfolds!