I’m back from today’s race to the top of Pattee Canyon. It is a great sunny day and a low turn out had my hopes up for a big finish. But, it was not meant to be.
Today’s Winner!
Place: Definitely not 1st
Time: 15:4?
Distance: 4 miles
El. Gain: 840 feet
Goal: 13:00 (2,5:30,9,12:30)
My goal was to beat 15 minutes and as I crossed the finish line I was stunned to see that I was not much faster than three years ago. My excuse; I am thinking the bike is a fat pig. Two years ago I went up that hill in the large chain ring. This year I had to spin in some pretty easy cyclo cross gears. I didn’t even come close to getting into the big ring.
At the beginning of the race all seemed good as I got to the first mile marker in just under 2 minutes. A mile after that it appeared that I was taking it too easy but I could not answer the call when I went by the second mile marker at 5:30 a full 20 seconds past my goal pace. The course gets steep at the 3 mile marker and I found myself reaching for granny gears. The bike was getting real hard to pedal. I reached the 3 mile marker at 10 minutes a full minute off my goal pace. I figured I would not make the goal but at least would better my previous mark. I was horrified to see that I was approaching 15 minutes at the 4 mile marker with .4 miles to go. I was 2:30 off of my pace at that point but I went for it without thinking. Across the finish line it sunk in. I had a bad run and my time was slow. I was a full 3 minutes off my goal pace and it appeared I had the same time as two years ago.
In the end I do thing I was 10 seconds better than my 2004 15:50 time. I sit here now in my apartment coughing up film and feeling beaten down. Oh well, I think I got some good pictures.
Boneshakerbike 
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