Usually when I try to embed a video, it doesn’t work.  But it did today.  Here’s a video mish mash of the women’s race, the elite men and the tandem race.

Last week, I started to write something up after Granogue, but it was whiny.  Short story of Granogue, I quit when I shouldn’t have.  Didn’t go back on Sunday because the bean doesn’t do well sleeping in hotels.

here’s a video of granogue.  men’s and women’s C race.

Today, not so whiny.  I left it all on the course today.  In that regard, this one is a lot like Hyattsville for me.  I’m not saying I have a lot to leave on the course.  My most memorable ride since Granogue was pulling the bean around in a kiddie trailer.  BUT, I went in expecting last place and was pleasantly surprised…by coming in next to last.

Whistle blew and I felt like I was keeping up with the mid-packers up the hill, it wasn’t until I hit the road that I realized that I wasn’t.  But I at least fell into a groove with 2 other riders (the lady and the gentleman) just ahead of me.  At the end of the first lap, I saw that I could maybe get one on the technical spots and the other on the hills (at least that was my best guess).  During the second lap, I pulled ahead of the lady and the gentleman as we hit the last patch of gravel before the drop that I was convinced was going to take my front teeth (it wasn’t really that bad at all, but that hasn’t stopped me from crashing in the past).  The lady then made short work of me on the slight hill and she was on my radar until the cobbles, then it was pretty much a losing proposition.  The gentleman was pretty much on my heels the whole way until we were passed on the last lap by the leader and some of the folks from the rookie race.  If he weren’t, I probably would have lamed out and soft-pedaled my way to last.  At least this way, I pushed the whole way.  He dropped back a bit and my motivation to keep pushing waned as there was no way I was going to catch the lady.  I still managed to keep it up but took it casually across the line to make sure they didn’t get confused and score me with the podium guys who were lapping me near the finish (as if I could be mistaken for a podium guy).  I think in the end, I pulled NTDFL (next to) which is infinitely better than my DNF last week.  I’m sore all over now, which is nice.  The races that bum me out, I’m only sore during the race.  The ones where I pat myself on the back for the meager achievement, I’m sore the next day too.

Tandem race was great.  I could go on, but I’m sure other people will do so in a much more entertaining manner.