Texas Road Rash 04/22/2012

 I didn't skate pace line in 2012. I was anxious to see how the body would handle skating with only cross training.

_friends
Half the Texas Flyers are missing: Mike and Brenda stayed in Waco, Timo and Casey stayed home with their South Asian SO’s, Jerry didn’t make it.

Renee introduced her friend Jeff who had a big camera lens. 

I finally met Christine and car-racing husband. Mike from Wisconsin joined us for pasta dinner.

Tom got off the Myerson gig unexpected early and made it to hotel by 10pm; this was an imrpovement over sleeping couple hours in car before the race.

 Ryan McGee showed up with his Justin Bieber hair cut.

I realized I left my Garmin on top of the car as the pros took off. Sigh....

 _wave start
Without the pros, I got in the lead pack with little effort. My glut started to hurt couple minutes into the race, I waited for the next pack.

Wisconsin Mike accelerated. He seemed unclear 90% of the race was ahead. I shouted some advice but let him go--after meeting Lawrence Pelo, I no longer thought pack speed was always higher than solo.

Full distance chase pack skated half-heartedly. Half marathons lead pack passed us. Half the full-distance jumped pack. I sat at the back behind Renee, having no incentive to push the pace. I felt great. I love this sport.

We swallowed Mike and a few pro skaters before half marathoners' finish.

Steven, Jeff and I took our time. We just had to keep the gap behind us.

1.5 laps to go. Pros lapped us. Steven wanted to skate with the pro. I was skeptical but attached behind Simmons' Alex as pros dilly-dollied anticipating the final surge. I considered the best case scenario: we hanged on the lead pack for couple miles. The big guns would jump to a speed beyond my capability with 1.2 laps to go, legs fried. I let pros go.

3 of us reformed our pack, continuing lacking motivation to go faster. I could sense our chasers approaching. Maybe they'd catch us and force a sprint finish. That'd be fun. We picked up Doug and a few others with half lap to go. Steven pulled for the final section, unconcerned about the finish <= different age groups. 

_pros
Mantia no show.

Bont dominated with Justin Stelly, Harry Vogel, and Briana Kramer.

Rob and Alex made some tactical error and were out sprinted at finish. Ryan Chrisler won mater.

_post race
Eva led me for 5-mile trail run @ 9:09 pace. I ran another 5k chasing rec skaters.

 I was relieved to see a road rash-free Candy. She had 1 more hard week before the big race.

I was shocked with lack of outside edge in the photo (Thanks, Allen). This partly explains my blister issue in Mojos.

_lazy half day
Austin bike shops were less intimidating than RBM and Plano Cycling. I sipped cappuccino and shopped Nixon watches at Mellow Johnny’s. A clerk had a hard time calculating cost of my swapping tri bike frame. It’s tempting to upgrade the tri-bike frame, but it’s hard to give up the overly flexible but pretty Lucero. Sometimes vanity worked toward my financial advantage. Austin tri-Cyclist sold me the sample Zoot Ultra Race < 50% MSRP. It pays to have the standard foot size.

I was impressed and annoyed by Salt Lick's 1-hour wait at 6pm.  Ray, Jenny, and I ate the take out at restaurant's playground picnic table watching Asher playing with older kids. I wished I could derive that much joy out of swinging a twig.

My body let me know which parts were out of shape. The quads never got comfortable after the race. The glutes were on fire during the 3-hr drive north.