Corporate Challenge

The bike racing season is over, but there was one last chance to race my bike yesterday. My company is involved in a competition with other companies in a variety of activities. Whoever gets the most points for all of the activities wins the whole competion. Since my company is so competitive, we're bound and determined to win. We've been sitting 2nd place to another company and if we did well yesterday, it would put us back at first. The events were a 5k run and 10k bike race. I didn't want to do the 5k initially because that would tire my legs out for the time trial (what I really wanted to do well in). Since we get participation points, it seemed to make logical sense to do the 5k but jog it.

Everything changed, though, when they said "go." I raced it and won my age group, came in 3rd overall. My time wasn't great (24:10), but for the 4th time running this year, it felt so good. Thank goodness for fitness from riding.

But it was all about the bike...I got the 2nd to last spot in the TT so I'd have rabbits to chase down. My goal was to pass everyone. With over 5 minutes between me and the first racer, that wasn't to be, but I caught all but 3. There were a few people out there on mountain bikes and old road bikes they didn't know how to ride, but there were enough there racing it to make it a competition. My aero helmet came out just to be intimidating. Left the super-dooper aero wheels at home, that would have taken too much effort for a 6 mile TT. Won the TT by a few minutes over all of the women, lost to the 1st place guy by 8 seconds, so took 3rd overall.

Sure, that wasn't an ACA race and if some 1/2 women or 1/2/3 men had come out, the results would have been different. But, I think the race today might be what it feels like to race in other states (say Nebraska or Kansas or something). In any race there is (be it a little home-town TT or NRC stage race) it's only between you and the others who show up. So it's fun to enjoy being on top for a little while and not worry that the competition wasn't where it usually is in Colorado.

Later, Justin and I did a Boulder bike path ride from his home up 4 Mile Canyon. It wasn't a ride for slackers, Justin's in shape...it makes me happy to see someone with the same genes as I with strength and rapidly growing fitness. (He's running now, too!) Maybe I have a new workout partner.

At Wild Oats in Boulder chomping on the junkiest baked goods that I could find there (not terribly junky) but sugary enough to keep me from going into the bonk that I was seriously close to. In fact, on the turn into the Wild Oats parking lot, I panicked braked (for no good reason other than I was bonking) and endo'd. I found it funny and was happy to be so near solid food so all was well. Justin and Arrick made us the best dinner that night. That's as much as is possible to fit into a single day.