RMR 11APR2006: night of starstruck cross-eyed racing
dhblog viewers, seriously, it was the coolest. my three local heroes show up to the RMR criterium on tuesday night: Dave Z, T-Bird, and J-Low. you know it's going to be bad and then you realize the wind is wailing. destruction is imminent. everyone is racing nervously considering we're racing with two of the most experienced north american racers in addition to a yellow-jersey-wearer/fastest-TdF-TT-racer/stage-winner-in-each-grand-tour racer. i'm starstruck every time T-Bird and J-Low show up and then you add Dave Z to the mix. i was in awe. Z and T-Bird stayed close to the front and J-Low was lurking at the rear of the group. i knew it would be happening soon and when T-Bird went up the road i had to get there. less than a half-lap after joining up with T-Bird, J-Low and Z arrived breathless. i was in for it this time...trying to figure out how i was going to even pull through was less of a struggle than sorting out the excitement about being in a group with these three. i know, i know...they are just 3 other racers that have good and bad days. but i have seen some of their bad days and it makes you wish they don't have a good day. back to the action. so each time down the drag strip we are hitting 55-58kph (this trick came from being starstruck by how cool J-Low sounds when he's talking about a ride/race and he says, "we were going 45k an hour"...tell me that doesn't sound cooler than just under 28 miles an hour). we get 3 laps to go and what's left of the field is gone. i am drooling trying to keep up with these guys in hopes i can just finish with my heroes and i think i'm going to make it. we hit the drag strip again coming in for 2 laps to go. i was beyond impressed already and i look down to see 61.7kph on the computer and we are accelerating. Z is on the front, T-Bird has his chin on his stem, J-Low is laying on his toptube, and i can't find a gear that will keep me up with these guys. tragically, i went up like a mushroom cloud. i stood up and tried to sprint back on to the back with no luck as Z pushed the speed higher.
these guys train hard and it shows. it is super fun having them out racing...both to admire their abilities and to get a workout that makes you feel sick for the rest of the night. i think all three are on the lineup for TdG next week, so we'll be going a good 7-10k an hour slower next week. good luck down there.