I swear this will be the last entry about the TX trip, hopefully I will be more on top of things when I go to Portugal in October later this year.
Saturday was a day that went on forever. I had an OK points race, not what I expected for a race pace or my result but that's in the past. The pace was a lot faster than I expected based on what happened last year. The race stayed fast for the whole race and I did way too much work at the front chasing gaps and then getting over taken by the rippers I pulled. The last lap I thought I finally got a point but someone was up the track and I ended 5th on the last sprint. I think I ended up 8th overall with no points.
Sunday was going to be a hectic day, we needed to check out of the hotel by 11 or so. All of us, Chris, Dan and me were racing at different times of the day and of course everyone needed sleep, food, training warm up times, etc to be ready for the last big day.
I was the lucky one to get to race about 9:30 A.M., Chris mid day and Dan last race of the day.
After I spent Saturday evening watching all the points races, it ended up as another late night to bed, hopefully no smoke alarms tonight. I set my alarm for 5 A.M. but woke at 4:30 anyhow and decided to get up. I just knew if I went back to sleep I would wake up suddenly and find that it was 10 A.M. or something like that. I tip toed around the room trying to get some food and get the gear out to the car.
I got to the track, almost first one. Got unloaded and made it in to start the normal hour or so warm up routine. Not very rested and not very energetic. I had only to race a standing start 500 and I was done for the day except for shuttling Chris and Dan from the hotel to the track. The plan was for me to do my effort, rush back to the hotel, get Chris and come back and help him get ready for a Kilo then go back and help Dan check out and bring him back before Chris did his team sprint.
I was feeling OK about the 500, the weather was beautiful, not too warm yet. I lined up for the start, 15, 10, 5,4,3,2 out of the saddle and back on the bike, 1, go, go go, go. I don't think I was out of the saddle as long as usual but close, dropping down going into turn 3, just a lap and a half to go. Stay low on the bike and on the track, make the track as short as possible, push, harder, more, my legs started to burn, more, more out of 4 and just the main straight now, push and bike throw to finish....and try to suck in some air. As I rolled around slowing I was trying to hear my times and thought I heard the announcer say something about 43. I really didn't hear much of it. 43, if that was my time, that sucked big time, worst time ever and I actually trained some for the 500 this time. The rest of the field was fast, as low as 37 or 38 seconds for the fastest. Crap, how did they do that! I was disappointed but still somewhat excited from my Bronze in the Sprints and I had to focus on the next task, got get Chris so he could warm up.
I grabbed some food from the track vendor and devoured that as I roared back to the hotel. I got there in record time, collected Chris and his gear and back to the track we sped. Unloading his gear, we realized I left the rollers back in the trailer at the hotel, dam. I didn't need them for my warm up and I just wasn't thinking about how Chris had to warm up. In the pits I found some other rollers that were not being used and Kim Edwards said Chris could use hers while I went back to the hotel again for my rollers. Flash, back to the hotel and then back to the track. Lucky no cops were out that early. Chris was trying to warm up without a lot of success so he was glad to see me again I think. The track temp was up significantly from the morning, getting hot again.
As I was helping Chris I heard the announcer call for Dan Schueller to the gate for his Kilo....What? Dan is back at the hotel, no way. Then I realised Dan had switched his Kilo effort for a spot in the last race of the day, a Madison and the officials must not have pulled his name. Whew.
OK, Chris is on his own and I am driving back to the hotel again!!! 3 times was just way too many trips.
I found Dan sitting in the entry with all the gear, I guess check out was at 11 not 12 and it was after 12 so he had to go somewhere. Loaded again and back to the track, I need a nap but that's not gonna happen.
I finally had some time to check my 500TT results, I just needed to know for sure what my time was. After scouring the time sheets I found the early morning sheet for my age group. And the time is ....41.448 that's great for me anyhow. Best time ever, almost .75 seconds faster than last year at Worlds indoors in Sydney. The 43+ that I heard was KPH, speed not time. Still not nearly fast enough but it got me 10th overall in the event. So I ended up with a 3rd, 8th and 10th. Some reward for all my hard work over the summer but also some incentive to keep working hard until Worlds in Oct.
Time to relax on the deck above the track in turn three with Linsey, Andy and the rest of the pack. I was feeling worn out and temps were up so I grabbed one of the ice vests we had ready and put it on, sat down in the shade and finally relaxed.
Our group still had a lot of races to do, team sprints and madisons mostly. The day wore on, got hotter and races continued. Chris got to do his Team Sprint with Ted and Ted's FL friend wearing the skin suit of all skin suits. The three of them dressed in body colored suits with muscle fibers through out. That effort got them a 3rd overall in the team sprints.
Andy and Dan got a chance to show the masters how to ride a madison by gaining a lap on the field and winning their madison overall.
Dan rode his madison with a partner he found at the last minute, Franco and they ended up 5th. They were the last race of the week and by the end of the day Andy, Linsey, Dan and I were finally loading the bike coffin for the long ride home. Chris had some family stuff come up and had to get to the airport and take a flight home. It was dark by the time we were loaded, even all the track lights were off and we were loading the car by headlights.
We said good bye to the Frisco track looking for a beer and some dinner before driving a few miles north. After about 4 hours on the road we couldn't take it anymore, stopped and slept for the night before driving all day and into the night Monday to get home.
The adventure was over and we were back to work the next day, Tuesday. Should have thought ahead and taken that day off to recover.
2381 miles and almost 49 hours in the Caliber later the week was history and it was time to start looking forward to Elite Nationals for Chris the last week of Sept and Worlds Masters for me the last week of October. There is going to be some cold days of training ahead.
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