Monday, November 8, 2010

BASP #2 Coyote Point 35As


Race: Bay Area Super Prestige #2 Coyote Point
Category: 35 As
Place: 26/50ish starters
Teammates: Drove up with BB

I'm not sure what was more awesome, the rain that was falling as we entered Coyote Pt. or BB's face as he managed to fight down a explosion of rage at the lead registration person at the race.  I'll back up a bit so you get the full picture.  

Once again, traveling with BB is traveling in style, he was 5 minutes, late but only because hew as bringing coffee.  In addition to this he had cleared out his trunk so I could fit in my extra bike.  It's first class all the way with BB.  He was a little tentative about the day since he had not been riding much due to his recent purchase of a house and the launch of Rockmelt, yes that is him in the NY Time's Photo, trying to look casual while he sneaks into the view of the photographer.  Who knew BB Was a media w%$#@?  You will be happy to know Rockmelt, is getting great press and if all goes according to plan they may be one of the several sponsors for Team Bell Lap next year.  

When we pulled into the park he realized he had forgotten money.  We figured he had enough to scrap by and would bum the rest off of  somebody at the race.  While i registered he looked for a few friends but found nobody.  After i got all set up i left BB in the hands of the registration wives, who were manning the post.  He was going to try and do a hold my license so i can get the $$ after deal.  I circled back and found Karl Ehlert, a savior i often fall back too, who loaned us the scratch.  As i walked up to BB he had his Pissed off face on.  As somebody that is often accused of having a temper, i don't think i have a "hate face" quite as good as BB's.  He was in mid-fight with the lead registration lady and i sensed he was about to go volcanic as i handed him $20 to get the deal done.  That was about all the drama either of us had for the day.

I got in a warm up lap, and a decent warm up.  The challenge was it was raining and was going to be tough timing a warm up and staying warm enough so you didn't bag your race.  I opted for a fast interval driven 20 minutes on a little hill and then found a dry spot to huddle up in, and then did the same thing 10 minutes before the start of the race.  

I got a call up in the second row and was standing next to Steve Reaney, i was so close to fame i almost fainted.  When the gun went off i got a great start, i passed my friend James Badia and a bunch of others and was able to sit on the back of the lead group.  James later told me when i passed him it took the wind out of his sails, that made my day after the race. I was top 10 and held that for about a lap.  Somewhere mid-second lap Don Myrah passed me like i was standing still - he worked his way into the eventual win from like 5th row.  Can't deny the guy is awesome.  

The course was pretty cool if not a little hilly.  There was not much road and it was pretty twisty with a mud pit, and a sand pit that you had to dismount to get across. . It was really muddy the whole course but because there were random dry parts on the course because it was in the middle of a eucalyptus forrest.  The dry parts were made a little harder by the constant 180s.  The mud ranged from think spongy grass and peanut butter mud to the real soupy stuff. The soupy stuff was fine, but about halfway through the race the thick spongy stuff just killed me.  I think pretty much every person that passed me got me on the part of the course where the grassy mud started. 

I had started to fade pretty hard after several laps, and ended up riding a lap with a flat.  I almost bit it on one down hill section, that was a little scary, especially for the guy behind me, so i changed bikes right after that.  James Badia and a bunch of other folks passed me at that point, but I had slowed down considerably during the flat lap.  The last few laps were really painful, and after the race it took a while to recover.  I think i was really muddy after.  Wish i had a picture of that.  I mean look at this picture, am i standing still?  Sure as hell looks like it.

Even thought it wasn't a top 20 i felt like it was a good race.  My split lip from the week before really messed up my week.  About halfway through the week it turned into a cancer sore that was so bad i couldn't sleep - in addition to the nerves shooting up the side of my face it was giving me a splitting headache.  I had to numb it so much i was drooling most of the night, the pain was so bad it would wake me up and I had to reapply.  Today is the first day it wasn't hurting that bad.  Still, it's better than that stupid Halloween race.

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