Cycle to the Sun 2007

Barry (a past winner of this race in just under 3 hours flat), Cal, and myself wearing the proof that we went from 0 to 10,000 in too long...

"Don't Feed the Hippies"

My packed bike...easier to pack with smaller wheels...

Well, I guess I should finally write about last last Sunday's Cycle to the Sun.

1) The all-you-can-eat pre-race pasta dinner was great as always.

2) The all-you-can-eat post-race steak dinner was great as always.

3) The weather was more perfect than last year.

4) And...I crushed last years time by a whole 5 seconds or so....whoopppeee!!!

Even after weight weenieing out my new 650 weapon, and even with my new light weight Met helmet, I could only improve on my last year time by so little...

To put it simply.....It was a VERY hard ride...

My lower back was absolutely KILLING me and my triceps were like jello...and I was cramping through the last 2,000 feet of climbing and I could hardly breath in the thin air...but other than that, it was fun...I think...

Present at this years race were 2 World Class athletes. Ironman triathlete Chris Lieto/ took 2nd overall and World Champion mountain bike lady Alison Dunlap/ and another woman crushed a LOT of us macho guys...Results: http://www.cycletothesun.net/results07.htm

My race was going great till 7,000 feet as I was riding with about 4 other riders...then things started to go bad with some cramping...then it went really down hill (I mean up hill) after that...

Lessons Learned:

• I don't know whether it was in my mind or not, but riding the white line is really faster than the AC since everytime I rode on the line, I started to slowly and shurly pull up on the group of guys I was riding with...I probably rode a good 5 miles on that line.



• I gotta start training earlier in the morning...we woke up at 4:50AM!!!



• I gotta take more salt tabs



• Tufo's are much more noisier and rougher riding than my clinchers pumped up to the same psi

Picture of me and my friends Barry and David at the bottom of the steep Makawao Hill: http://www.randyjaybraun.smugmug.com/photos/sspopup.mg?AlbumID=3374272

Picture of my friend Cal at the same hill: http://www.randyjaybraun.smugmug.com/photos/sspopup.mg?AlbumID=3374272

Picture to remind me of when I was feeling good that day way further up the mountain: http://www.randyjaybraun.smugmug.com/photos/sspopup.mg?AlbumID=3374272

Pic of my friend David who was probably suffering more than me: http://www.randyjaybraun.smugmug.com/photos/sspopup.mg?AlbumID=3374272

Now this it tough!!! Even a Bike Friday made it to the top!!!: http://www.randyjaybraun.smugmug.com/photos/sspopup.mg?AlbumID=3374272

WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR!!!