San Jose 100-Mile Crank-Fest
What a weekend!
The race was so much harder than I had expected - but with hard work comes the satisfaction of knowing that you did something special. Team Elevate raised about $4,000 for cancer research and had a great time in the process. 100-miles of San Jose definitely gave us a test. There were moments where I thought my legs were going to give out, but I just kept picturing the finish line and the frosty beer that would be waiting for me when I reached San Jose.
There were three sections that nearly broke my spirit - 2 wind-whipped flats that made me feel like a salmon swimming upstream and a gnarly, 1.8 mile climb that registers as a Category 1 climb in the world of cycling. The climb beat me, but I vowed not to take a ride in the support van, so I walked the entire hill in my cycling shoes. Was it dumb? Probably (my heart rate was 170+ the entire time). Did it ruin a pair of $25 cleats? Yup. Am I glad I walked it? You betcha. If you want to see where this climb is, check out this map:
All-in-all is was an awesome way to ring in my 28th birthday with some great company. I'm hoping this is a new trend - every birthday I'll take a trip somewhere and do something that test me in some way. Not sure what 2010 will hold, but it better be something epic.
Although the ride was a success, it left me wanting more: to ride better, faster, longer the next time around. We're already looking at our calendars in 2010 to see what might work for Team Elevate.
Make sure to check out the pictures - hopefully I'll be posting more as they get passed around.
