As is everyone, I am still waiting with baited breath (maybe I should gargle?) for Garrick's HH100 reprot.

But in the meantime, here's something to keep you all occupied.

The ID District TT. A 40K affair, advertised as "flat and fast" - my ass. The Utah course was really flat, this one had some itty bitty hills. Which naturally gave a net altitude loss on the way out, and consequent gain on the way back. Along with the obligatory tailwind-out/ headwind-back scenario.

Anyway. I managed to borrow a Tri-Spoke from Don Tracy, since Alan suddenly moved to Salt Lake before selling his TS to me as he claimed he would. Don's TS is bright yellow, to match his bike. I think it violated the three-color rule when mounted on Eddy. On the other hand, that three-color rule might just be something Kim made up. I did have to swap the axle since Don uses it for a rear wheel, but that was cake. Even performed at 1 am, after a movie. Sleep, who needs it?

Got up at five, got Peter off the couch, and got on the road. After an uneventful transit, we arrived in lovely Shoshone on the dot of eight. I discovered my start time was 10:02. So I attempted to nap, and was almost successful. But soon it was time to play with the toyz.

After a nice easy start (even though I have learned my lesson about proper tightening of rear QRs) I was motoring along. The first - and therefore last - five miles of the course had recently been chip-sealed, and so were bumpy though reasonably free of loose gravel piles. Passed my minute man after about 7 miles. Woo hoo.

Got to the turnaround right at 27' - hey, keep this up and I'm looking at a 54'! Then I turned around, into the wind and uphill, and started watching my average speed tick down, down, down. Sucked to be me. Second place passed me less than a mile from the turnaround, I passed one more guy, and first place blazed past a kilo from the finish, where I had to seriously get off my butt to make it in under an hour.

Which I did, just barely - 59'59" officially. First place, a guy named Rich on a beam bike (from Sun Valley, driving a new Saab 9000) smoked everyone with a 52'37". Second was a 57'something. And, surprise, I was third in Sr Men - all categories! Of course there were only nine of us, and a couple Masters in each age group up to 70, and about five women. Attendance was sparse to say the least. Quite a change from nearly 600 people at the White Knob. Got my medal and was out of there.

On to Twin Falls! I had arranged to stay in a basement apartment owned by one of my Lo-to-Ja crew's parents. Conveniently located in Twin Falls, between Shoshone and Buhl, start of Sunday's RR. We checked in, then went to visit Shoshone Falls and jump off rocks at Dierke's Lake. Peter jumped off about three rocks, but I only did one. Chicken. Besides, that lake had fish in it, nibbling at one's toes.

Back into town to wait for Super Dave, who would be joining us for the evening and the road race on the morrow. He arrived a little late, and we went out to dinner at a highly-recommended mom-n-pop Mexican restaurant. The food was good as promised, and Peter enjoyed ogling the waitresses (Mom-n-Pop's daughters, most likely). And then a little light reading before going to bed quite early. I was kind of tired for some reason.

Sunday, the main event. A 72-mile 4/5s road race. Featuring three laps, with a semi-major climb on each and every lap. Beginning at the Buhl High School parking lot. We arrived just in time for the riders' meeting, at which it was decided that the 1/2/3s would ride with us since there were only 4 or so of them. The 1/2/3s got out of doing another lap this way, too. But another three 1/2/3s showed up, including Rich buddy on a different Softride with deep-dish Zipp wheels - Saturday he had a disk for the back. So our pack is about 25 riders, the biggest of the day.

We meander away. The start is on the highest section of the course, and we roll away on a slight downhill at 25-27, easy. Mostly downhill, a couple rollers, then a slight climb, and still no attacks. The 1/2/3s are content to ride with us 4/5 scum? Well, no. At the bottom of the uphill finish stretch - about 7-8% - the good riders take off and leave the rest. Including me and Super Dave, who makes a bitter comment about the "district coasting, coasting, and then hillclimb championships." I slog up the hill, ride by the high school again, and start chasing. My target is a group of three guys dropped at a later point, now also chasing the pack. I catch them after a few miles, and start pretty much motoring them up to the pack. We catch the pack before the half-lap point, and then participate in a nice smooth and fast rotating paceline for a bit. The pack is now 15 riders. I take a bottle from Peter, who is supporting both Super Dave and me from the feed zone.

Again, at the bottom of the finish stretch I get dropped like a rock. Along with one of my chasing compatriots, who suggest we wait for a second companion to work with on the flats. The third guy is apparently still with the pack. In waiting for Jay (from Boise, he's on Cara's team) the pack gets further away, and we finally catch up a little after the half-lap point. I had to do most of the work, Jay is apparently pretty tired; he only took a couple pulls, but managed to hang on. The other guy said "ooh, good pull" a lot, but didn't seem to be working that hard. So I towed them back to the pack, collecting another two dangling off the back, and they all said "you're the man." Woo hoo. Same 15 riders, and I take another bottle from Peter, who is doing an excellent job in the feed zone. Dave wants to draft him for Lo-to-Ja. There is now a break of three about five seconds up the road, and nobody appears to want to go catch them. Rich is up there; I have seen him jump a couple of times before this, and he looks really strong - he's almost as big as me, though. How do he climb so well?

The last time up the finish hill, and boom, I'm dropped again. But not so much this time, as everyone is a little more tired. I grind past several people, then manage to sprint past a couple more for what looks to me like eighth overall. Wait for Super Dave to finish, and then ride back to the high school.

Results take a few minutes to post, and then awards follow soon after. I take fourth in 4/5s, no medal for me today, but I know I beat at least one 1/2/3 up the hill that last time. Rich won the sprint among the break, and graciously accepts his medal. Super Dave is awarded third in 30+, in absentia because he had to leave. I collect his medal.

Zip back to Twin Falls, one more shower and then boogie back home. Temperatures in the mid-90s on the way back, but from 9:40 to 12:50 when we were racing it wasn't that bad. The weather was beautiful for pretty much the whole weekend, not a cloud in the sky.

Then last night classes started again, so summer fun is mostly over. Just as my cycling "form" was peaking, too. I will have to try to retain some for Lo-to-Ja and the Banzai, but it won't be easy. Sucks to be me. But you all already knew that.

later, hah