5/16/09: Sunshine Hill Climb

The Sunshine HC is a tough bastard of a course. The first 5 miles of paved road average about 7.6%, while the final 4 miles or so on the dirt are steeper still. Some gradients on the dirt top 20%. So if you blow your load too early, the second half of the race can be a real suffer fest.

I was less than 100% for the race this year, after catching some sort of bronchial virus after the Lookout HC a couple weeks earlier. While ‘over the hump’ of the sickness, I still felt as if I were sucking air through a straw anytime I tried to kick up my effort. And a hacking cough was my constant companion, waking me up more times in the night than a child who just had a nightmare. Still, I went into the race with the goal of pulling as much out of myself as I could even though I knew the results would be less than my best.

In the past, the race rolls off the start line and there is a gradual building into it. While the race lasts for roughly 45 minutes, no one wants to redline it too early. This year, however, the pace was pushed from the get-go. Within the first minute, I could tell my body was still sub-par. If 100%, I should have been able to push out 310-320w. In the 270 range, I was already bumping up against my max (I ended up averaging 285w for the race, so about 10% low). I slipped into reserve mode and rode at my own pace. It would net me whatever result it would, and there was little I could do about it.

A small pack powered by one of the Garmin junior riders sped up the road, leaving me to fend for myself in about 10th position. Considering I could hear a lot of gasping going on from that pack as it slipped away, I figured some of those riders would be faltering and sliding back to be picked off. Which is exactly what happened. Slowly but surely, as I grinded up the pitches, riders up the road started blowing apart.

Before the dirt section started, I caught Jason Anderson from the Natural Grocers squad. We formed a quick alliance and worked together to chase down the rest of the racers up the road. When we caught Lars Finanger from VeloNews, he was nice enough to inform us that the 2nd place rider was right around the next switchback. I thought, “I’m in the Top 5? Are you kiddng?” My legs sure didn’t feel like Top 5 legs. Finanger latched on as Anderson and I continued working to try to catch David Leonard (who ended up 2nd and whom we never did catch).

With 500m to go, I was cooked. Nothing left. I decided to spring early and see if maybe Anderson was worse off than I was. Finanger dropped immediately, but Anderson grabbed my wheel then shot past in the final 100m. A quick look over my shoulder proved I was safe in 4th place, so I shut it down and coasted across the line. Totally spend and gasping for air. And hacking up hairballs.

Next up is the Scott Kornfield Memorial circuit race on the 31st. This is my team’s race and has been renamed in memory of our fallen teammate, quite ironically on Memorial Day 2005. Back to 100% health, I’ll be looking forward to helping one of our sprinters win the day.

Ride safe,
Nate