Conquering Mt. Hamilton

(Here is Liz’s report from her win at the Norcal/Nevada State Masters RR Championship):

Hi Girls,

Cammy and I raced the Calaveras TT the day before.  Cammy was smokin’ she is really the queen of the road!

Mt. Hamilton had to be the toughest race I have done in a while.  I had to think how I was going to outfox Leslie, and had to put time into her on the climb so she wouldn’t pass me on the 5 mile tricky descent off the summit.

As we climbed Hamilton the herd thinned….I think the 60+ gang was gone early, and we had 2 thirstybears, Jane Despas, Jennie Phillips, Cammy, Leslie and Tracy Lillig who was having shifting issues.  Jane and the bears went up the road, I stayed with Jennie and Leslie,  at some point Jennie pulled ahead when I was on Leslie’s wheel, and then I closed the gap with Leslie in tow.  Next time that happened I told Leslie “we need to stay with her 3 is better than 2, she worked a bit, then I came around her hard, latched onto Jennie, who set a fierce tempo.  Leslie was now gone, but I had to keep going since I knew she would fly down the hill like a banshee.   At one point when it was just the 3 of us, I was trying to eat a power gel chomp—I think I was munching on that for a couple switchbacks, and realized I had no energy for chewing, I patooied it and it bounced off one of the other gal’s  wheel.  She didn’t see it but I thought it funny.

Jennie was all for giving Leslie the business, and helped me up the climb.

I knew at the summit that I couldn’t keep up with Jennie on the descent, so rode within myself, and did the friggin’ longest time trial to the finish, kept consistent power, suffered mightily.  “I’m NEVER doing this race again” went through my fried brain.   Got  a wonderful, cold bottle at the feed from Andrea.  Soooo good to see her at the feed!

Was happy to see the 1k  then 200m, and Wayne.

It will take me about a year to consider doing THAT again.

Many thanks to Andrea,  who was full on cheerleader at the feed zone, and lent us a podium pup!

Liz