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We were about 15 miles into a brisk morning ride today and Matt’s bottom bracket was starting to become my whole world when I looked up and saw a cloud. I was surprised. He wasn’t. He lent me his booties and by the time we parted ways, the skies over my road were dark and brooding. Life lesson: when they change the forecast to a 20% chance of rain AND you forget to mention this to your girlfriend, the chance of her riding home alone in the rain is 100%. I am SO getting a backrub tonight.  - As long as my secret doesn’t get out. Because the boring truth is that I really enjoyed my ride this morning. It was a little cold, and a little wet, and it was before 9 in the morning. Don’t ask me why, but I was loving every minute. I thought hard about tacking on extra miles, but the day had to begin.

bird panda

Matt and I rode the H8Terville 100 last Saturday and in my usual post-ride stupor/euphoria I made the mortal and unforgivable faux pas of saying that it had been super fun! and I’d had a fantastic time! to djonn. As he walked away with the verbal equivalent of a raised middle finger pointed in my direction I called:

“I meant that in a bad way! I hated it!”

Damage done. I H8T myself.

photo from Russell! lifeintherustytoolshed.blogspot.com

I wish that I’d remembered to take a picture of my new T6 TEAM bird kit, and the matte black, X-tired paragon all together. The only time in my life I ever succeeded in matching my outfit to my bike and, damnit, I have a boyfriend who notices these things.

Having been ill and mostly off the bike for a couple of week, I wasn’t sure how I’d feel during a solid effort. We pre-rode a little of the course and the tunnel the night before, but otherwise it was going to be a straight shot of the unknown with a crash-course in drafting for good measure.

from the djohn H8Ter cam

It showed in my start. As soon as we hit GO, I was up at 27-28 as the men in front continued to pull away. My only thought was to catch onto the fastest train I could. I forgot to stay left and have to thank Mr. Curtes for a steadying hand as I was lugging my MTB out of the 4-ft deep washout some of us clambered through. My cross remounts could use some work in the not coming to a dead stop department (note to self). By the time we crossed Seminole, I was alone when The Mighty Katie pulled up alongside with a couple of friends/teammates. She went around, and I fell in behind to chug along with Train Pegasus until close to Belleville.

Now, The Mighty Katie is not a lady to mess with in a dead sprint. As I caught my breath, I decided it would be best for me if I didn’t let it come to that. I pulled off the front a couple of times, to see if the group would follow at a faster pace, but found myself too much alone and knew I shouldn’t solo the entire way. When two fine gentlemen (Earl and a friend whose name I didn’t get) came around us just before the tunnel, I jumped on Earl’s wheel. Into the tunnel we went.

from youngblood's flickr

the mid-tunnel ice sculpture

from youngblood's flickr

Blinking in the daylight we emerged to find children playing on the trail and sticks everywhere. Apparently they were deconstructing the jump that had been set up for the lead groups. For those who are wondering, we ripped what was left of it. Then Earl decided to hammer and pulled us almost all the way to the turn-around, bless him. I saw a lady flash by on a big, fast train heading home before we turned around, and assumed it was a Cat 1 road racer who I’d heard would be around. Turns out it was Meghan! who ended up taking home first place and the bottle of champagne. I was solo from the turn for some time, wondering if I could bridge. No dice. The gentlemen caught up to me by the mountain stage and it was more fun riding with them. Plus, we were heading into the wind. While I didn’t want to solo home,  I was all kinds of edgy and felt I should and could be moving faster.

Now, the problem with racing a lady in a sweet team kit like that of the Team Pegasus is that if you look over your shoulder and spot a flash of pink on someone’s helmet - you gotta jump. Fear of the pink helmet has been a constant in my life since Sarah and Megan at WORS. I don’t know if it was Katie or one of the gentlemen, but I did jump. Twice. The second time was in Belleville when Derek came around us at a quick clip and I tried to latch onto his wheel. I was a bike length away when another gentleman came around me. I assumed he filled the gap, put my head down, and tried to adjust my pace. When I looked up seconds later, Derek was at least 40 feet ahead of us. I jumped around Mr. Fuel and said - “Hey. I’m gonna catch that guy. Come with me?” “Can’t. I’m cooked.”

I tried. At first I thought I could. When I figured out I wasn’t going to catch him except very, very sloowly I turned around to find myself in nowhere land all the way home and almost cracked. It was all the way to the grass before I’d caught Derek and a friend he’d joined. After that, I yo-yo’d off the back until we hit the pavement. I was feeling pretty good about 2nd until I realized I’d gone way too far on the bike path and was somewhere in Madison that did not feature THE FINISH LINE.  I called Matt in a H8Tful flipout but got back just before Katie, who says she also spent some time exploring.

By the end, I was very pleased by a good ride on good legs and even more so for the great company and the ride I’ll want to take again. Thanks to KittenFactory for the excellent time. As for Matt, he did fantastic, especially for having felt sick for a couple days previous! All in all, a hateful day, if superfun!. Can’t wait to get back home as my H8Terville paraphernalia should be in the mailbox soon!

What I’ll remember about riding in Minnesota this April was the roar of the headwind in my ears, which was almost as loud as the ringing silence of turning home with the tailwind behind me.

9,999 to go.

On Tuesday the wind was less than 15 mph so I rode longer than I’d planned, heading home in time for supper with the family. On Wednesday though the wind was back, and hit me like a wall when I cleared the town limits. I planned to turn into it for the majority of the ride, but when a cloud shadow passed over me on a hilly gravel road south of town, I decided to see how long I could follow it. I didn’t think I would follow it as long as I did. Cloud shadows don’t slow down on hills, but I still had a great time chasing it for almost an hour. Then I turned up the hill into the wind and started the big loop home. A few freshly plowed fields offered some bird watching along the way. While I wish I’d covered more ground, h8tr prep wasn’t lacking.

A cold that was actually more like a coma punctuated by a business trip and alot of packing just knocked me off the bike for almost two weeks and left behind legs that burn at the mere sight of stairs. So, I felt some dread when I kitted up yesterday to head into a 20-30 mph headwind. I’m visiting family in farm country, and the northwest wind made the first leg of my trip a no-brainer - dead into the wind up the hill to the highest point in Southern Minnesota.

And it was great. The wind was brutal. My nose almost froze off. I can tell I’ve been off the bike, but my legs felt good. I’m ready for another helping today. Although, without the wind, I’m unlikely to repeat an uphill 35 mph on the way back to town.