The Second Half

DROPPED

So I rolled into the new shop in Cottonwood to get my Scalpel updated for the new millenium - and lo and behold there's a Cat 3-5 group ride going off at 4:30pm....I had my roadie with me, and quick change, and I'm in the 7 man group riding out of Cottonwood in 90 degree temps. Of course, the warm up was 4 minutes, and the boys hit the first hill hard. We then went into a paceline to give 3 young riders (ages 15-19) a chance to work as a group. We were heading up to Sedona on 89A at a 22mph clip - my heart rate was in the mid 160's - I was doing OK knowing we had some downhill coming up.

Off of 89A and we plunge into Page Springs, and the attacks start. I got used like a rented mule after a pull through, and 3 dudes rocketed past me while 3 fell off the back as I chased. Net result - no man's land. I wasn't strong enough to hang with the 3's, but I was ahead of the 5's. I guess that makes me a 4.....a hurtin 4, because I was hurting pushing 170 on the heart rate o' meter. We regrouped after a climb, and then cruised back to Cottonwood where I got dropped by everyone on a climb out of Cornville. I blamed that on the heat, and primarly, the fact that I couldn't hang. I guess that makes me a Cat 5 again. F*ck it - it was hard work, I loved it, and I was competing with guys that are better than me on the road which is always good fun.