Try Try Again
The finish line of the 2015 Crusher was right there.
“Just a bit more work, and a PR is in the books!”
The day had gone perfectly. Smooth roads. Cloudy skies. And legs that wouldn’t quit.
“You got this!”
All the day-dreaming had become real.
It was the best race I’d ever ridden.
“6 miles to–”
pshhhhhhhhhh
“No! No no no no!”
All gone. In the blink of an eye.
It was a strange flat tire. Not your standard puncture or sidewall cut. “You can hop in the truck.” said a course marshall. “Nah. It’s only 6 miles. I’ll hoof it.”*
I had some time to think while I walked, racer after racer zipping by. And I wondered:
Which is worse? Great legs ruined by a mechanical, or bad legs all day long?
In this case, the mechanical stung. I was only 20 minutes from the finish line. I was on pace to crush my current PR.
However, the legs were there. And legs don’t lie.
But still, that PR was right there.
I guess I’ll just need to show up next year and try try again.
*Eventually I got a tube that held just enough air. In all, I walked about 5 miles.
3 Comments
Elden
July 14, 2015So, speculate for us: without the flat, what do you think your finish time would have been?
Grizzly Adam
July 15, 2015Based on where the guys I had been riding with finished, and my results in years past, I think I would have been in the 5:00 to 5:10 range. 5:18 is my PR.
Elden
August 4, 2015Wow. You were HAULING. Somehow that makes the mechanical sadder.