10.9.06

Can I get a "ho-ha" 2x Tuesday?

Did you look outside today? It is pretty terrible outside with the rain, cold, and wind. Too bad for all those Ironman Wisconsin competitors--they are in for a world of hurt today. As I'm writing this at 9pm, there are still runners out on the course. If it takes 15 hours to do an Ironman, is it really a race?

As for myself, I negociated traffic all day long. Yeah, Ironman can get the entire downtown Madison area closed off for the event no problem. But for Collegiate Nationals? No way...I guess we just need to charge $400 per person entry fee into the event and we'd get as many roads closed as we want.

On the other side of Madsion, away from all the Ironman mumbo-jumbo, Endeavour put on the last WCA crit of the season at Research Park--for the third time this year. Luckily, it was the first time I had raced there. I hate doing the same courses over, and over, and over again in the same year.

So the crit went well--very well in fact. I took a chance with two laps to go and attacked hard going past the start/finish. I was sick of staying in the field for a sprint, so I wanted to make something more of it. Ryan White joined me--perfect, since IS Corps and GDVC were in an all-out lockdown trying to get Jordan and Dave Kay, respectively, into the overall WCA series lead. They waited too long to chase, and White and I got away.

God that last lap hurt. Really bad. I had no legs left for a sprint. I saw the field coming back up to us in the final straightaway, so I gunned it and just tired to get to the line. White came around me in the last corner--and although I gav'er hell, the legs couldn't push me up to the line fast enough for the win.

But second place in a P/1/2 race? I'll take that anyday after starting as a cat 4, collegiate B this spring! A big thanks goes out to Paul Nielson, who convinced me that I could win the race with an attack near the finish. Thanks Paul.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Actually this makes the 4th WCA race at Research Park. We really have to make sure we do nothing questionable there because if we lose that course there goes half of WCA lol! Anyway nice job, yours was a good play considering the points race going on which is I am sure why Paul suggested that move.

Cole House said...

how many people? not many i hear.

Ryan Baumann said...

Mostly true, Cole.

Almost everyone who stuck out the 60 minutes of the race was IS Corps and GDVC since they were protecting Jordan/Dave. There wasn't a whole lot of motivation for everyone else to finish considering the conditions. But it was hard, since a break was up the road and IS Corps needed to keep it within range all race long.

What can I say--I'm definatly not a Cole House!

Cole House said...

interesting. glad i didnt go. mountain biking was perfecto! who ended up winning the world cup? i mean Wisconsin cup. lol

Ryan Baumann said...

Forgot to mention that you should've really done the World Championships Sunday.....

The WORLD 4-MAN TEAM TIME TRIAL CHAMPIONSHIPS! In Illinois.

Who-ho!