nacler22

Sounds like the Mako ended up with the steak knives.

AzTallRider

The Mako story is out there on the web somewhere...

Cleave

Valley of the Sun Stage Race
Masters 55+

Managed to finish another 3-day stage race with some mixed results at a personal level and mediocre results, at best, on a racing level. Fifth year in a row competing in this race.

Stage 1: ITT
Set a PR on the course and finished 17th out of 20 finishers. My previous PR (2012, 7 seconds slower) was good for 14th out of 30. I was happy with my time until I saw the overall results. First PR riding the Shiv. Obviously I'm doing something wrong.

Stage 2: Road Race
Got dropped the first time up the climb as usual. Eventually ended up with three other guys, two 65+ and one 55+. We were riding together pretty well and I thought our pace was OK. Was able to turn up the power the last time up the hill, but the 73 year-old gentleman that was part of our quartet came back to me and passed me about 50 meters from the line. I stayed on his wheel but didn't sprint past him. Turns out we were pretty slow -- 12 minutes behind the leaders and 6 minutes slower than my best time for this stage (also 2012). GC after stage 2, 17th out of 18.

Stage 3: Criterium
I was determined to do something but the legs weren't quite up to it. Was able to move around pretty easily in the pack and I attacked a couple or three times. My attempts for separation were futile. Led a lap as those behind thanked me for a wheel. One lap I was behind one of the crit specialists (per AzTR -- thank you) and he jumped to close a gap and I couldn't jump. Dragged the pack with me as I tried to close. Ended up sprinting from near the back and passed a couple of people just to make sure I wasn't last (minimal self respect). GC after stage 3, 16th out of 17.

Good news, I wasn't DFL as I was in 2014 and I set a PR on the TT course.

Had a good time hanging with my teammate (45+) and supporting him in the road race. Also got to see AzTR and his assessment of the strong men in the crit was spot on. He also took some photos of my teammate and me after the crit. I haven't looked at them yet but will post one and some other photos later this week.

Thanks for reading.

Hermes

@Cleave Sounds like 3 good days of racing and socializing. The Shiv is starting to work for you.

Hermes

Winning

shovelhd

Hey Cleave, it's early.

Hermes

And VOS is a significant region stage race that draws competition from several racing districts and tests all aspects of a racers' abilities. IMO, any placement including the bottom of the peloton is excellent. Just showing up with all the proper equipment and racing for 3 days is an accomplishment.

I see nothing but superb performance.

SteveM

@Cleave, well done. I was down there on Sunday watching some of the races.

IBOHUNT

@Cleave. 3 days of racing + fun = win

revchuck 

Hope I do as well at the Joe Martin stage race!

Racer Ex 

I wish I was racing.

nacler22

I wish I was training, so I could race.


I don't wanna be the Mako. That is unless I un-understood the cryptic confirmation from hermes.

sarals 

@Cleave. What Shovel said. That your TT was a PR speaks VOLUMES. The crit sounded like it was darned good! Congrats on a GOOD three day!

No Mako here...

Racer Ex 

I'm not training either

The mako might still be out there. It eventually managed to spit out my speargun and swam away.

LAJ

Simple as that.

IBOHUNT

Coulda been worse perhaps...
mako spits out speargun - Bing Videos


Queue Chief Brody... "You're gonna need a bigger boat"

nacler22

We may have to start a Un-Training For Racing thread.

Commiserations encouraged, along with in-depth analysis and reviews of Lethargy Meters.

Cleave

Thanks everyone for the encouraging words. I felt like I was as well prepared for this year's race as for any prior year yet the results didn't match my feelings.

However, if results were my main motivation for doing this sport, I would have quit a long time ago.

I am going to do one or two races on Saturday at Rosena Ranch -- 55+ and maybe Cat 3. Next week I'll be in Everett, WA trying to see what I can do over the next few months when I am there every other week. Might need some spin class advice from sarals. Not sure of race schedule after that.

sarals 

I'm making it up for him!

sarals 

I hear you!

Full water bottle, SPD cleats, towel over the handlebars, and ADD MORE

Racer Ex 

Bigger, and faster. Speed trolling video. 43.5 they figured to catch the boat.

They are essentially a great white on meth. I've lost two friends to GW's.

I ran into Manny Puig on a trip once, he's been in the water with all the "killers". He apparently heard about my dance and decided it would make a good video shoot. Went out to the same spot. Got in when they chummed up one a bit smaller than mine. It attacked the camera. Then it attacked the outboard. They got out. His comment to me was "that's a crazy mother *****"

The reason there are so few attacks vs. GW's is you have to be stupid enough to go out into deep water where they hang out and try to shoot stuff. We were 20 miles our so out. I went out a year later and bagged this at the same spot:



150# yellowfin. First 15m in the water a small mako nailed a bait fish 50 or so feet away. Took me a bit of time in the boat before I got back in. Pretty good shot on a fast fish huh?

Back to VOS.

IBOHUNT

Wise words indeed. I'll keep those in mind this year if I decide to race; thanks!

nacler22

Excellent

I may have to give myself a one day ban from the not yet born, Un-Training for Racing thread . Rode with a plan today.....worse yet, I pretty much followed it. That may be cause for a two day ban.

And for the record, I'd much rather jump out of an airplane, than swim in water frequented by sharks with large teeth..............actually sharks with teeth period.

sarals 

Say, what?

Racer Ex 

It was late and he had been drinking...