My First Time Trial
By Roger Dickens
The day began around 6:30 when I awoke thinking "well, here we go." rice bar for breakfast, one more check of the start time and hoping that maybe I had been DQ'd before it ever started. Felix was meeting me at 7:00 for our long run for the week. We were going for 50 minutes. Two main reasons for this. I knew there was no way I would want to do it Sunday after this time trial and mostly so that I would have an excuse of "I already ran too." 8:00, run complete, check email, nothing saying it had been canceled. The run was nice and easy, sunny, temp in 50's, no wind. 8:20, I better get ready for this thing. What do I wear? I'm gonna be out of place. So, I go with what Rachel would surely shake her head at probably not be seen with me. Long sleeve blue shirt under the red US Soccer training shirt, I'm the US and the course is Ghana, surely to beat me in the end.. At least I'm patriotic. 8:32, "CRAP, I need water, Rachel took the Murano, will my bike even fit in the Honda?" Side bar (why does honda make the accord so that the whole back seat folds down, but the hole is only like 2 feet wide?) I'm trying to get it in, but it's not going. Surely, this won't be the reason I can't do this stupid thing. Finally, a little shoving and tilting and it's in. Roll out to check in. First step out of car, look around, no way i belong here! Where did this wind come from? Finally I see Megan and some fear subsides. First thing she says "what are we doing here?" Fear back. There's Shannon, calm, cool, worry-free. JERK! Check in complete. She says attach the chip to the front tube. Front tube? It's inside the tire. What does she mean? Crap. Really. tube? where's Jenni dammit! Ok, calm down. I can at least start getting ready. Bike out, front wheel back on. Procrastinate. Look around some more. Small punk kids that are ready to kick my ass! Pointy helmets. wheels with those cover things on them that covers the spokes. Great. FINALLY JENNI SHOWS UP! HELP! She calms us down and gets us ready, after a little potty break. Some dude comes over, and I use the term dude on purpose. Long hair, full beard, scarf and bike uniform of some team. "Hey bra" he says, "i've got an F85." I think to myself, "great, what the F is an F85" but "cool, that's neat" comes out of my mouth. "How do you like it" he responds. Silence. "your bike dude" he quips. Oh, right. My Felt F85. "i love it, i wore the red shirt to match." He laughs. I think he must be stoned because no way was that funny, and this is boulder. Jenni takes my number and crumbles it up. "YES, this was one big joke and we aren't really doing it." "Bend over" she says, apparently, you are supposed to crumble up your number. Rookie. Warm-up and head to the start line. We get in line, do some stretching, look around, looking at people that there is absolutely no way they should be in citizen race, but I think to myself that they come to this to feel good about themselves. I kicked ass in the citizens race because I would have gotten my ass kicked where I should be racing. welcome to Colorado! finally make it up to the start line. 20 seconds left. I don't want to clip in. No. 111 almost fell off the line because he couldn't get going. didn't want that to be me. i hear "ARE YOU ROGER!" Apparently the starter guy wanted an answer. "I guess so" I mumble back. 5...4...3....2...1 GO! I'm off, slowly. Damn wind. this hurts. I'm breathing heavey within the first 100 yards. Nerves are killing me. I just keep watching Shannon in front of me. Just take it easy. Bam, rider number 1 passes me. one of those "i'm awesome because I have a pointy helmet in citizens race" guys. I laugh, thinking I might get in trouble if I make them wreck, but that would require me catching them. not gonna happen. Finally just before Nelson Rd, I settle down. Turn on to Nelson. This is my spot to hit it. And I do. I speak to Shannon as I go by letting him know that I have to take advantage of downhill. Feeling great. half way down nelson, did i even start my watch? Nope. Dumbass Redneck! Start. There's Megan. Just a simple Hello because I can't breathe and talk. on look, a little uphill. I hate Nelson Rd. 75th. Hard right. I actually lean a little, looking like I know what I"m doing. Clover Basin. I could just turn and be home in two minutes. But I see Jackie, so I think I'll just stay here and take it easy. 75th is pretty easy. But I start thinking that I think my privates are numb? I can't feel anything. Sorry Rachel, not sure what marriage will be like now. I take it down a notch, knowing Niwot Rd will suck with the wind. Niwot Rd turn, some punk kid passes me. I swear his bike has a motor. Wow, this isn't bad. smooth, easy cadence going. BAM! HOUSES GONE! HELLO WIND! Start looking for the gears, shifting, breathing, dying. Jackie pulling away. Head down. I'll count to 60 and then look up. BAM! WIND. I swear I'm at a dead stop. Look up, still can't see the turn. Head down, 60, head up, still no turn. I repeat this until I hit the turn warning indicator on niwot road. turn, start hitting it hard. BAM WIND. &*^&*^#( Stupid Wind. slow down. Ok, here's the down hill, I can hit it now. BAM WIND. first look at watch. "WTF? I'm really only going 11?" take it easy again, I'll wait for the second downhill to the finish. There it is. Hit the Pedals. BAM! WIND! 500 meters. Little more than one lap of track. I see Jenni's car in the parking lot at the finish. Cheater, she drove down. She could have run. Lazy! I see Mimi, Jenni, Matt on the side. 200 meters? Really, it took that long to go 300 meters. 10 feet from Jenni and group, I finally hear them "GOOD JOB ROGER!" A little smile and nod. Exactly what I needed for the last 50. FINISH.
I'm extremely happy I did it. It was harder than any running race I've done. Being the anal accountant, it will be good to have a true beginning point. At the end of the season, I can do it on my own to see the improvement, or just wait til next year. Either way, it was fun. I'm glad I let Jenni, Megan and Shannon convince me to do it. I obviously can't improve without challenging myself. I have no idea what my time was because even when i finished, i forgot to hit stop. But it still was only about 3/4 of the race anyway. I went back down to cheer on Shannon and Megan at the finish. My only reaction when Jenni asked "how was it," "F me!" but now, i had feeling back where I had once lost it and it felt like swollen apples! I love blood flow. Rachel, I'M BACK!
