31 k to Yuma

(cell phone pic watching the sunrise from Mexico last weekend)

I'd like to see that movie that sounds kinda like the title of this entry:

http://www.310toyumathefilm.com/

I've gotten mixed reviews from buddies at work, but I reckon I'll probably catch it one of these days.

So, I've got family that lives 31k from Yuma - just across the border in San Luis RC, Sonora, MX. There was a little get together we committed to going to, so I tried to work in a bike race amongst the festivities.

Not such a good idea, as it turns out...

The North End Classic crit on saturday was pretty crazy - kinda hard course which really reminded me of the Bellingham crit that was part of the old Fairhaven Classic back in the day.

The north end classic isn't flat, and there is only one long straightaway - there was something like 10 corners on the 1 mile course. it was a real crit - not an industrial park socal deal!

I generally race as the sole member of my team at a lot of these races, and I'm not that good a bike racer, so I have to roll the dice lots of times in terms of trying to make sure I'm in "the move" that sticks. cuz, in these small fields with lots of big # teams, as soon as "the move" goes, you're racing for 8th place.

I saw the winning move go, and tried to go across the 10 second gap (usually not a problem for me - it becomes a problem when the gap gets to 20 seconds...) - I was on the last guy's wheel to make it across when he just rode away from me. I still can't get everything out of my left leg - normally, i don't like making excuses, but dang, this is a bit frustrating...

I had to sit up and go back to the field and pedal around for another 20 minutes trying to understand what was going on with the ol leg.

Sunday was worse - I didn't really feel like pedaling much. And guess what, I didn't pedal much. Windy as hell, and for the first time in a flat road race since I started doing this bike racing thing again I got shelled, pretty much immediately. I did one lap in what was probably a steady 20-30mph northerly wind. I rode hard tempo with another guy, and by the last 20 minute of my 70 minute "ride" the leg was having difficulty making any kind of real power. Not so good. I'm still not recovered from this and it's tuesday evening...

I'm going back to ground zero on this deal - with respect to the bike - the pinarello got rebuilt on sunday evening, and the cdale is hangin' in the garage. I am going to see if the pinarello position helps things. I couldn't get things quite right on the cdale (both in terms of saddle setback and reach).

I reckon I'll try to give it a go tomorrow. We'll see.

Tour de Murrieta is next weekend... tough spot I'm in, it seems... Oh well, we'll git 'r dun one way or another!