Hmm Anyone Hungover???

So we have a traditional New Years day hangover ride every year. We all take off and nurse our headches and body cramps away with an easy ride that anyone can hang with. Atleast thats how it used to go! I think we may have started a new tradition this year called pound nails!

We took off from the evr famous Janesvegas bar Jumbos. Heading north into a 15 mile an hour headwind everything seemed calm. I was still kind of sore from my prior day tempo workout. Luckily I had refrained from an real alcohol consumption the night before and was enjoying what seemed to be a great ride. Then we naturally split into two groups. I led out Jim Peterson, Bill Livingston, Jeff Chesmore, and some roadie I didn't know. We were all on mountain bikes except for the roadie and part of me kept wondering when he was going to brag that he was faster because he is on a road bike.

We went out of town and I took a good hard pull to ramp things up to 17-18 miles an hour. I wanted to get peoples adreniline going and keep the group lively. What happened next was completlely unexpected. We turn out of the head wind and grouped up. I sat up a little and talked to Bill. Bill was really hung over. The night before we out out to the bar and he decided to consume his body weight in alcohol. To make matters worse he was mixing beer and hard alcohol all night. It go to a great point when he decided to show off his dance moves to Snows Informer. I don't remember the last time I laughed so hard, now I know why he makes a great gorrila. So anyways Bill was one hurtin unit. I move up towards the front of the group and take a short pull up a hill and then look back. "Opps where did Bill go?"

I fall back to find him and sure enough he says uhh go ahead I think I am going into town and calling it a day. Ok so I just have to wait a minute is Jim sprinting ohh crap. This point brought me to the point of extreme pain no one expects to see on a training ride the point that is probably better left for racing. But after being couped up on the trainer for the past month I was feeling spunky. I am going to gap them!

Jeff, Jim, and the roadie had a good mile gap on me and they were not slowing down for anyone. I pushed as hard as I could. Reaching the drool threshhold, you know the point where you lose all contorl of bodily fluids and drool starts spewing out of everywhere. I started to see the roadie fall of the back, ha some guy on a road bike getting dropped hard by some guys on mountain bikes glorious. I gap the roadie.

Roadie- Hey
Me- Hey those guys are really flyin huh.
Roadie- Yeah you could say that. Your not doin so bad your self.
Me- Yeah and they are in sight. Lets gettem.
Roadie- Yeah
Me- Grab My wheel
Roadie-
Uhhmm wait a minute I dropped the roadie while carrying out conversation oh well back to the hunt.

I hit it really hard rested up from talking with the roadie I spank it. I am closing fast now I attack a hill really hard and shorten the gap to about 150 yards. Jim looks back and sees me closing then throws out a huge counter attack laying down speeds of around 30-31 MPH wow.
I hold up my attack and wait for Jeff to take a pull and then attack hard closing the gap to about a hundred yards when I see them slow to a stop.

I pull up and we exchange glances of admiration everyone is impressed with the mid-winter fitness and we all know it is going to be a great year of bike racing.....

posted by Crash Test @ 6:38 PM