TMBRA's Big Cedar Race: Pedaling on a Prayer

The feed zone was fast approaching, and since I had opted to use bottles instead of a camelbak, I had to slow to the right to grab a hand up.  As I did, Rhonda (a really cool lady from New Zealand who was in the country for her husband's work) flew by me.  I subconsciously knew someone had been on my back wheel, but the flying kiwi seemingly came out of nowhere.   After patiently waiting during the initial lap to climb into second position, I was right back to where I started the race, third wheel.

This picture was taken during the first lap.  That is Rhonda behind me, chasing me down.

Our moving train was quickly rearranged again when the lead rider, Jennifer Taylor, got off balance on a rocky switchback and came unclipped.  Rhonda and I moved past.  On a scarce short section of gravel road, I reached down to get a big gulp of water and Kim Chance moved past.  Re-caging my bottle, I sped back up.  Jen Ragan-Marlowe had moved in behind me.  Never a dull moment, these two top riders of the 40-49 group had come charging in on the scene.  I had been so focused on staying with the leaders of our group I forgot about them.  Back to third wheel I went.

 At the bottom of Prayer Mountain, over halfway into the second 8-mile lap, I was getting antsy to make my move.  If I made it too soon, I was afraid I would blow up.  If I waited too late, the brief opportunities to pass might get squandered and the wild card racer from New Zealand might get away.

I decided it was worth burning a match to get around Kim in order to keep Rhonda within reach.  On a short uphill in the trees, I surged past.  In the open fields, I snuck a quick draft behind Rhonda for a brief respite before the attack.  Once I attacked, my plan was to put the hammer down for the last couple miles and pray like heck I could hold off the pack for the final brutal climbs back up to the finish.

Before the fields turned back into cedars, I gave a quick, "On your left!" and opened it up full throttle.  I knew I had to keep up the sprint pace for at least a minute or so or any advantage would be lost.

On the climbs preceding the brick beast (this section has to be one of the steepest pitches in the metroplex), my left quad had begun the dreaded twinge that signals the lactic acid is beyond buffering and muscles are about to retaliate.  Even though my stomach didn't want anything, I reached in my back pocket and grabbed a handful of Gu gels and shoved them in my mouth.  I knew the bricks were about to push my legs to their limit.

Only a few cranks into the ensuing incline, both of my legs completely seized up.  Pedaling was out of the question.  I quickly got off my bike and had to do some stiff-legged hobbling as the cramps took over.  At this point, a perched spectator yelled out, "They're coming!  She's right there!!  Hey, these are all ladies."  The comment made me laugh.  I was actually laughing at my legs, too.  I must have looked like a tall duck waddling up the hill.

This was the do-or-die moment in the race for me.  Would my faltering muscles recover?  Or would I be limping home, telling my racing buddies "Go get it!" as they passed me one by one.

My quads loosened their death grip enough for me to summit the brick climb on foot.  At the top, I remounted my bike and was relieved when my legs cooperated and the pedals started turning over again.   At this point, I pretended like I was chasing an imaginary leader.  If I could hold out a little longer, I'd be able to claim my first win since moving up to Cat 1 three years ago.  

As the staging area came into sight and the waning minutes turned into seconds, I gave it everything I had left.  Only seconds ahead of Rhonda and not much more ahead of the rest, I had survived Prayer Mountain.  

Me, Kim Chance and Keith Hargis hang out at the awards ceremony.  Nothing like someone snapping a picture of 3 tired racers who don't have time to smile for the camera.  I just noticed I wasn't clapping in this picture.  Maybe next time Kim will pass me whatever energy drink she has in that bottle.  (She won the 40-49 group and had the fastest time on the day for all women who raced 2 laps.)

 
 Here is a picture, courtesy of Oscar Guitierrez, of Josh at the top of the infamous brick climb.  This is the Bikes Inc. rider Josh Moreman ahead of the field, you can see the other rider down below.




 Pretty sweet trophies.

Handmade, using parts from old bicycles and rocks from Prayer Mountain itself!