Recap of Richard Mueller's and i run yesterday on the "Race the Lake" course. We had a 2 hour delay due to stubborn mist and even had to ride the first hours getting drizzled on. Going north we faced a pretty intense wind the entire 35 miles in that direction. Very light traffic and the drivers in the area gave us plenty of room. The winter thaw did not make any of the smaller bridge transitions dangerous and all railroad crossings were in good repair except one. Road construction was minimal but if the crews do not hurry and complete a section approaching high cliff state park in time, the previous route will need to be adjusted. As for the hill in question, the one I started lifting weights for 6 months ago so I can stay with the peloton and be a good advertisement for CruzBike, I finally made it!!!! It may not be that big of hill for a lot of the more experienced riders in this forum but its big enough to where only around 50% of wave 7 riders during the actual race make it to the top without stopping. And the group typically averages 20-22 MPH the first 40 miles of the race. Now that I KNOW I can make it I am going to train even harder and lift more weights and show how well CruzBikes CAN CLIMB! After getting to the top and turning south after a few miles Rich and I remarked "Its amazing how we are still riding into the wind after turning into the opposite direction". By this point the rain clouds had burnt off the landscape and there was a gentle sun. The drivers continued to very kind even when I was slow to respond while riding two abreast and I am not too sure how long the car waited for me to get over to pass due to me yapping about something to Rich. After a relatively easy 20 mile stretch after high cliff we made our last turn and spent the next 15 miles riding uuuup and dooown the hills of the countryside. Right before the bay of FonduLac we got the treat of a very nice downhill run where you get to really build up some speed for a few miles and test the limits of your aero. I did not break my speed record due to the intersection not being controlled for us like it is during the race but still hit over 30 mph for a good length of time. After crossing the intersection you just have 3 miles of small town riding before you get to the finish line. All in all we finished in 5:15 ride time with a few bathroom breaks. Last year I had my diet perfect and only stopped once to walk my bike up the hill so this August it is possible I never unclip the entire race. Special shout out to Rich Mueller for partnering and at times waiting for me to catch up. He sacrificed a better time to not drop me. I cant wait till August 18th of this year, we already have 3 CruzBikers signed up (wave 7 please), and a few more that may. It is a gorgeous, fun, challenging, and safe way get around 90 miles in an afternoon. I am interested in completing this circuit at least once per month leading up to actual race so if anyone else would like to schedule please message here or send me a PM and we can set it up.
www.dutrirun.com
