I'll go into more details later, but here's what happened:Dave Wiens vs. Lance Armstrong
Dave won his sixth straight Leadville title, breaking the record by 13 minutes. Lance dropped away with 10 miles left to go and finished two minutes behind. For you Lance Armstrong fans out there, take pleasure in the fact that Lance won the 30-39 age group. Dave Wiens is 43.
Me
I finished in 11:22:44. Besides being a Fibonacci sequence, this number is significant because it's less than 12 hours. I won a silver belt buckle. I also ended up going to the emergency room afterwards. According to the doctor, I actually drank too much water and flushed all the electrolytes out of my system, which made me so dizzy and sick I felt drunk.
Key differences between this year and last year:
* I was in better shape.
* The bike I borrowed was fantastic. I love the Superfly.
* I made better decisions during the race.
Hooray! Congratulations, Bob. Sorry about the electrolytes. Maybe pack a salt lick and jolly ranchers next year?
ReplyDeleteBravo, Bob!
ReplyDeleteCorrection: Lance finished 2 minutes behind Weins, not 2 seconds.
Way to go, nice job.
ReplyDeleteFunny how over hydrating is now getting to be as common as under hydrating. I drink less than I used to and perform better. Strange..
Thanks, Kris. That was a typo. It was two minutes. When I saw them, they were bombing down Columbine, pedaling furiously on a stretch where I would be feathering my brakes.
ReplyDeleteThe top finishers boggle my mind.
ReplyDeleteFrom the post-race interviews I was amazed to hear about Lance pushing Wiens to ride the Powerline climb on the way back to the finish, instead of walking it as is normal even for the top guys. Crazy.
Good to see your reply, Bob. I think I'd still be in a deep recovery coma.
Awesome! You can't imagine how relieved I am that I can still hold you in high esteem.
ReplyDeleteDoes this mean you're really not going to ride Leadville next year? Or has that decision been modified in the post-ride, low-electrolite euphoria? Not pushin' I'm just askin'
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, and way to go, baby! You know I'm super proud of you!
ReplyDeleteWhile your remarkable velocipedal performance certainly raises you up a notch or two in my most humble estimation, I regret to inform you that your predictive skills leave a lot to be desired. How could you have predicted DNF for yourself -- and then gone and allowed yourself to finish in well under your lifelong goal of winning a silver belt buckle? Have you no self-respect, man?
ReplyDeletePlus, it is my duty to inform you that 11:22:44 isn't really a Fibonacci sequence, as cute as the idea, and as aesthetically pleasing the number itself, may be.
Lucky for you, the great finish at Leadville is worth at least two-point-five merits, more than making up for the two demerits. Respect.
Congratulations, Bob! If'n you're going to do any tri's down here, let me know. I've been moonlighting on the dark side for a while now.
ReplyDeleteNice job Bob. I guarantee that by the end of Fall Moab'09 (fy)(place to be determined) you'll be itching to ride Leadville again.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, I suspect that without the fear of Leadville, you'll wind up trapped on the couch, unable to move your bodyweight without mechanical assistance and develop a predilection for eating pizza sandwiches (typically, a pepperoni pizza smothered with mayonnaise and placed between a pecan pie and a banana cream pie. The pies are placed crust side out on either side of the pizza to facilitate eating).
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