Hot in Hell's Kitchen - A Chicka's POV
Normally when you know something makes you hurt or causes you pain you avoid it. However, there exists a select class of human beings whose brains aren't wired correctly. Instead of shying away from these specific situations, they seek them out. These people are known as cyclists, and this particular painful event is called Hell's Kitchen.
Today twenty-one U of M cyclists departed at eight-fifteen for the race course. The trailers were jam-packed with bikes and the vans stuffed to the brim with extra race food, clothing and racers with a little bit (a lot) of nervous tension. We arrived at the race course to a fully-packed venue. Needless to say we had a hard time finding a parking spot for the 15-passenger van and trailer (the equivalent of a whale finding a spot to sun bathe on a florida beach flooded with spring break goers...). Somehow, we wedged ourselves in a spot in between two farm driveways. We weren't sure if we were parked illegally - but as Jameson said, "It's not like they're going to tow us..."
Bikes were quickly unloaded and set up. Race packets were picked up along with free schwag bags for participants. We looked like a force to be reckoned with in our sharp team kits of maroon and gold.
Staging for the race started at 10am. Soon, the women were off. We were fortunate enough to be able to ride the race with the Men's 50+ field for several reasons. First, we had 10 women racers, but the Men's 50+ put our numbers up over a field size of 30. Second, men are bigger, and a lot nicer to draft off of. And finally, we got to race with Billy!
The race was pretty mild mannered until we approached Hell's Kitchen Climb. Somehow, Kari and I found ourselves off the front of the pack on climb segment one. I got excited, and probably took it a little bit harder than I should have. Kari (the smart one) told me to slow down. Predictably, we were quickly caught by some charging master's riders and then by the rest of the women's field. Kari and I struggled to stick to their wheels. My legs were hurting, as I'm sure Kari's were too. The devil always makes things burn in Hell's Kitchen.
By the time we got to the top, the other women were up and over the summit of the climb. Then Coach Billy came to the rescue. It took us a good seven miles, but Billy pulled Kari and I up to the rest of the women's field. We sat pretty until the climb. This time (after two Gu's) I felt much better - but I still couldn't stick it on the hill. Coming over the top I was desperate to catch the four women who got away - so I paired up with a master's rider. For the remaining six downhill miles I became very familiar with this guy's behind. He, (his enormous draft) and his carbon wheels meant a screaming fast decent. We were slowly gaining on the women's field but the finish came too soon. I watched the women's field finish from the bottom of the hill...
I was cheered in by a great U of M crowd. Billy and Kari came in soon after I finished. As Pat has already described, the rest of the U of M racers also had successful races.
And to think that forty+ miles of pain wasn't enough, a group of us decided to do a warm down with another lap on the race course, and a ride home to the hotel. All said and done Billy, Meg, Kari, myself and others clocked over 83 miles for the first day.
We love pain, don't you?
Today twenty-one U of M cyclists departed at eight-fifteen for the race course. The trailers were jam-packed with bikes and the vans stuffed to the brim with extra race food, clothing and racers with a little bit (a lot) of nervous tension. We arrived at the race course to a fully-packed venue. Needless to say we had a hard time finding a parking spot for the 15-passenger van and trailer (the equivalent of a whale finding a spot to sun bathe on a florida beach flooded with spring break goers...). Somehow, we wedged ourselves in a spot in between two farm driveways. We weren't sure if we were parked illegally - but as Jameson said, "It's not like they're going to tow us..."
Bikes were quickly unloaded and set up. Race packets were picked up along with free schwag bags for participants. We looked like a force to be reckoned with in our sharp team kits of maroon and gold.
Staging for the race started at 10am. Soon, the women were off. We were fortunate enough to be able to ride the race with the Men's 50+ field for several reasons. First, we had 10 women racers, but the Men's 50+ put our numbers up over a field size of 30. Second, men are bigger, and a lot nicer to draft off of. And finally, we got to race with Billy!
The race was pretty mild mannered until we approached Hell's Kitchen Climb. Somehow, Kari and I found ourselves off the front of the pack on climb segment one. I got excited, and probably took it a little bit harder than I should have. Kari (the smart one) told me to slow down. Predictably, we were quickly caught by some charging master's riders and then by the rest of the women's field. Kari and I struggled to stick to their wheels. My legs were hurting, as I'm sure Kari's were too. The devil always makes things burn in Hell's Kitchen.
By the time we got to the top, the other women were up and over the summit of the climb. Then Coach Billy came to the rescue. It took us a good seven miles, but Billy pulled Kari and I up to the rest of the women's field. We sat pretty until the climb. This time (after two Gu's) I felt much better - but I still couldn't stick it on the hill. Coming over the top I was desperate to catch the four women who got away - so I paired up with a master's rider. For the remaining six downhill miles I became very familiar with this guy's behind. He, (his enormous draft) and his carbon wheels meant a screaming fast decent. We were slowly gaining on the women's field but the finish came too soon. I watched the women's field finish from the bottom of the hill...
I was cheered in by a great U of M crowd. Billy and Kari came in soon after I finished. As Pat has already described, the rest of the U of M racers also had successful races.
And to think that forty+ miles of pain wasn't enough, a group of us decided to do a warm down with another lap on the race course, and a ride home to the hotel. All said and done Billy, Meg, Kari, myself and others clocked over 83 miles for the first day.
We love pain, don't you?
posted by Wiggles at 9:52 PM
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