As a recovering runner (in the tradition of a recovering alcoholic), I've taken up cycling this summer. I've always used cycling to cross train for running and one summer even did a century ride and one citizen's race, but this year I've decided to try out category racing. As with many new things, it's been tougher than I thought it would be. At the Porcupine hill climb up Big Cottonwood Canyon to Brighton, my first race, I hoped to get under 1 hr 10 min and place in the CAT 5 racers (the lowliest of the racing classes) but wasn't successful. Instead I finished in 1:13:49 (though I'm listed in 1:18 something--they got my number wrong which, even though I hate to admit it, bothers me). The journey has been fun as I've learned a lot about cycling just in time for the Tour de France. Still there have been a few rough spots too: my crash in the MS ride, being dropped from a training peloton of racers out west in Hooper, and making several riding etiquette faux pas (standing while in a tight slip stream, coming off the front on the right when the wind was coming from the left and certainly others I'm unaware of).
Well, none of this is probably particularly interesting to anyone but how about my Porcupine hillclimb photo? Nice tongue, eh? I guess it's my trademark. Early on in my life friends noticed (to my embarrassment) that I would stick my tongue out as I skied, moving it from side to side as I turned and, in general, whenever I had to accomplish a difficult physical task. I'm not sure why the tongue comes out. Good thing I've never bitten it off. Funny, though, how it really hurt me when someone made fun of me (I remember my good friend Corey mimicking me) and how now I can't imagine why I even cared. Too bad big MJ wasn't playing basketball at the time--I could have tied my tongue donning to greatness.
4 comments:
It _is_ a cool photo. You look all Tour de France-y. Knowing nothing about this sort of racing, I will still venture this comment: 1:13:49 isn't so far away from 1:10, is it?
Tour de France-y in a way except my bike weights 18lbs and their climbing bikes weigh 3 or 4 lbs; not to mention the big climbers would probably finish the Porcupine climb in like 40 minutes.
Oh how quick we are to diminish even our most amazing accomplishments (get in line, Ron). It's cool. And your time is good. Plus, it's not about the time, it's about the _bike_ baby. Or the drugs. But we know you don't do that, so it must be about the bike.
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