Regalado RR-45+ 1/2/3 Report (great race-crappy end)

Regalado RR, 45+ 1/2/3…3 laps with 1.5 miles of dirt each lap


Déjà vu all over again…

I'm pissed and don’t have a lot to say…well, check that, I always have a lot to say, so say it I will. I'm pissed.

Dumping rain hammers my house all day Saturday and through the night. I call Mark Foster; "you still up for racing?" Response: "well, why not?" Why not? How about those buckets of rain? Ok, whatever, wet is wet. I'm in too.

4:30am and I am up and moving. Rain has ceased. We load the car and move out. No rain for the two hour drive out. Let me digress here. Why the hell are we up at 5am and driving two hours just after a major rain storm to ride our bikes for 54 miles? I say we have a problem. There is some sort of psychological issue that we obviously both have. I mean really, couldn't we have chosen another hobby? I am sure model train collectors are not up at this hour and driving two hours to a model train convention. It is Sunday for God's sake.

Race starts and no rain. 30 or so racers line up. Did you all just read that? It is 8:30 in the morning. 2 hours from civilization and we just had a major rain storm. There are 30 guys lined up in the 45+ age group? Come on guys, get a life!! Wait a minute, I'm here too, oh man, I have to seek some counseling. I digress no further; Race is going along at a reasonable pace when we hit the dirt section. What? A dirt section? Just after a major rain storm?? ON a ROAD BIKE?? Are you freaking kidding me? Ok, I knew there was a dirt section, but really, this is silly.

Dirt section is made up of pot holes filled with water and small ponds in the middle of the road. This goes on for about 1.5 miles. The pace is at full gas. The problem with this is the rider in front will be hammering and then suddenly veer right or left to avoid said pot hole or pond. That leaves you with little option but to ride through said pot hole or pond. I did. I got wet. We finally exit the dirt and head up a small incline. Soaked and shaken we ride on, though five or so of the gang decided to stop for a fishing break, or whatever…they are no longer attached to the group.

Lap two we hit the dirt again. Hammer time. Soaked again. Pot holes and mud everywhere. We are down to 20 guys.

Lap three we hit the dirt again. Get the point? The dirt is where the race happened. We would be cruising at a reasonable pace when we hit the dirt. Then it was full gas through the mud and water. I sat 4th wheel in the dirt. Come out of the dirt feeling awesome. We have about four miles to the finish from the dirt section. We are down to 10 guys at this point.

Clark Foy, who won the CCCX solo a month ago, jumps and I jump with him. We get a gap but he lets up so we come back to the pack. Man, this is fun, I am feeling chipper and in a great mood. A mile from the finish line I start to think about who I want to sit behind for the final sprint. A dark cloud passes over us. I get a funny feeling. The feeling turns out to be a flat front tire. 53 miles done, one mile left and my brand new tire goes flat.

I am done. I pull to the side and watch the nine other guys (including Mark who was doing great) ride by and leave me to ride a sad, angry mile alone. I would tell you how frustrated I am with this, but I can't adequately do justice to my frustration in writing. In fact, just writing this is pissing me off. Oh hell, I'm going to find a good model train convention. Anyone want to buy a few sets of wheels that don’t hold air? Cheap??

Andrew