Yin & Yang vs the Solstice

Dawn

Saturday was a great day despite not being able to preride the course. I took off early in the morning for a ride on the Seven. I felt great and then some all morning. It was hard to keep the reigns in but after 3 hours I felt like I should get home in time to pack up and get up to Suamico for the Reforestation Ramble.

The ice will be higher next year at the Monona Terrace.

I was nearly home when I came across a sign I couldn't resist. There was a gross of 12oz glasses great for Sephie to use for milk and such and a bamboo matt for beach use I purchased but everything else was as advertised.

Truth in advertising... and Russell has a street in my 'hood.

Once packed we were on the road north. Sephie had committed to doing the Citizen Youth race so her Big Sur was along for the ride with the Fe+. I'd set the Fe+ with the same gearing as last year, 34x15, and was reasonably confident I would be fine.
EAA balloon fly-in.
We rolled into the Reforestation Camp just as a fairly massive hailstorm had passed. Seph was given one last chance to not race but she filled out the entry form herself taking full responsibility for whatever follows.
Sephie taking the plunge. She figured she has the ink on the arms so she may as well race.
It may look benign.

Preride was eventually cancelled so Karen (on her new bike thanks to Liz & Rick), Sephie, Dan, Liz, Brian, Marilee and I took off for a road ride like a herd of bumble bees. Marilee led with Sephie just to her left.
Liz, Karen, Sephie and the Jeep. No Cupcake.
After the ride we checked into the hotel and went to dinner. After wandering without any food options we stumbled upon two options "Tuscon" for Southwest cuisine or "Koko" for Sushi. Sephie decreed that sushi was great prerace food since it contained squid and octopus. Um, okay then.

I had a couple rolls and a plate of noodles while Seph made good on her promise to destroy some Octopus nigiri. WWRE? (What would Russell eat?)
The next morning we all awoke, I had coffee and we drove to the Reforestation Camp. Seph jumped into last years BKB Jersey and slipped on her Crocs while I hurried off to find the Montees and the size 36 shoes they had for Seph. I found them and Tim gave me the shoes so I headed over to the start to get her ready. All the young ladies were chatting and Seph seemed to be in her own world getting ready for her race. It was obvious she didn't need me to tell her what to do so I hung back with Russell and Rick who would be supplying the Hayes support for the kids. Jerry Daanen was back there with me as his daughter was racing too.

No preride? No problem. Just get outta her way.
Don gave the kids the "Goooo" and I took off back to the car to put my shoes on and get rid of my hoodie. I criss-crossed the course and took quite a few photos. On the last stop I waited for her at the top of a steep little hill. The last few rides she had whined and complained on the little power climbs and would get off and rest. Not on this one. While others, both boys and girls, had walked Sephie got up out of the saddle and rode it. After that there was a mud bog. I hopped on my bike to get ahead for a finish line shot, but the bog was bad enough I stayed behind to let her have her own line. Karen and Liz were walking the trail backwards at this point and were able to see first hand how the bog could be cleared. They'd seen other kids have to get off and walk but again, Sephie showed them how to do it. There is no possible way I could be more proud of her.

 Call-ups for the kids? Yup.
Steaming along.
Cleaning the hill.
Is the pool open yet? I'm done with the race...
I was off on my "training ride" and I missed this.
Believe everything you read.

Then it was time for me to get my act together. The race had been changed enough from last year to make it slightly more challenging. Three 12 mile laps would be within my training but at what pace? I managed to get a decent start behind teammates Joel and Ryan and next to Russell and Tim. I settled into what would be a group of 5 other single speeders which included only one familiar face, Nathin Davisson. The other three was running 32 or 33 with 17t on the rear. I was overgeared. Then the boggy ground started to emphasize my tall gear by dragging on my Bontis. I momentarily thought about pulling out to change the 15t to an 18t, but then I thought I should just tough it out. So I rolled though the start/finish behind the group but got into a pack of multis on the back side uphill for a draft. At the top of the climb they gapped me (or I anti-gapped them) and I settled in again and pounded a Gu.

Ryan and Joel killing dreams.
Thor and I trapped in a nightmare.

The next two laps were fairly uneventful for me, Rick and Tim had bad luck with flats and were walking back on the second lap. But I did have "Thor Von Awesome" on a green single speed (#1829) to keep me company for the 2nd lap. I put a move on him near the end of the 2nd lap but it was for naught, he must have had enough and decided to finish on that lap. So I took a bottle from Karen and encouragement from Sephie and put my head down for the last lap. Nathin was a quarter mile or so behind me and I could see him come onto the back straight as I was halfway down. I'd misjudged Nathin at the Lake Geneva event two years earlier. He may have only one leg but he's still fast and he won't give up either. I tried to find some rpm's but that wasn't happening. I decided if he caught me fine, but I wasn't going to roll over and die. The rains had come back too and with that the temps lowered by 10 degrees. On the last half a lap I saw Abby Strigel motoring in the other direction and gave her a cheer. A short time later I heard the sound of a fast rider coming behind me. I wasn't getting lapped, I'd been able to maintain some speed but it was a person with much more speed than I had. As he came up on me I moved aside and he said "lonely out here, isn't it?" I couldn't verbalize a reply but I though "yes, death is meant to be lonely." The last thing I saw was a folded number "4" on his jersey as he motored on down the trail. I'm not sure why, but some ill or mechanical befell Mr Phillips for him to catching up to me at that point. I kept it going and sure enough, the finish line eventually showed. I was toast, but I felt fine. No muscle pain other than my triceps, I was simply fatigued. All in all it was a great training ride for me.

Sleep riding?

____ & a smile.


Sephie on the other hand has plans. She's going to race again at the Eau Claire race, but her priorities are Art Camp this week, swimming and her last piano class until fall. Those are her priorities, not mine or anyone else's. I don't think she bragged once today to anyone in the 'hood about her podium finish her first time in a race. I'm really glad she had a blast. I know she reads this so I'll keep it simple. As long as she's having fun and she wants to do it, she has my blessing. I'm not going to push her in any particular direction, except away from the couch.