Sometimes......

.....things just ain't ideal.

So, this last Saturday, our team - Chico Corsa Cycling Club - had a little event just southeast of Chico called the Messilla Valley Circuit Race(see results below). The race was 10 laps of a 3.5 mile long circuit, with 310 feet of climbing per lap - so, a 35-mile race with 3,100 feet of climbing. The one problem though - we started the event at 10am on one of the hottest days in May! Egads - it was some warm warm out there on Saturday! Still, we had 30+ riders show up to take part - I was thinking maybe ten riders would show - but was VERY stoked to see so many show up.

One thing I noticed though - since I was on the sidelines keeping track of laps for everyone in both races and able to see the happenins out there - was that mentality played a HUGE role in this one. I'll tell you, anything can happen in a race. One lap you're down and thinking of quitting.....next thing you know, you're up with the leaders because people DID quit! If you think you're hurtin' - it's more than likely that the person next to you(or behind you or up ahead of you) is hurtin' just as much, if not worse. But keep going!! Well, if you can(sometimes bailing out is better for your health!). The will to finish - it kept attrition at bay for many and hopefully made them a much stronger rider. In racing, sometimes conditions just ain't ideal - it can be hot, humid, wet, cold, rainy, snowy, windy, lousy roads, lousy timing, lousy course, whatever. It's the riders that don't let these factors get to them that seem to have some good solid successes out there. They just go out there........and ride.

Anyway, 'nuff Monday blogorama - gotta get some work done. OH - yes, the results of that little Circuit event thing we did on Saturday:

"We had a tremendous turn-out for this morning's Circuit Race......but, unfortunately, we had tremendous temperatures too!(Sorry about that - my fault! We'll start next month's Circuit Race at 8am or 9am instead of 10am). Attrition played a HUGE role out there today - it was really tough to keep going around that circuit with the temps rising and the undulating circuit. Still, there was some brutal competition out there in both the "A" Category and the "B" Category - lots of racers in both events! I was pleasantly surprised by the excellent turn-out - thank you so much for coming out and suffering.....er......uh.......taking part in such an epic event! Great job to all of you. We will do this one again in June, so start preparing/recovering now!

A HUGE thank you goes out to the water crew out there during the race - including Caryn Jones, Benjamin Bryant, Mike Castaldo, James Plummer, MJ and everyone else who tried to keep the survivors moving and spraying them with water - your help was GREATLY appreciated by all - thank you so much! Next time, I'll bring 3 10-gallon containers of ice water. Also, if you lost a water bottle out there, let me know - I seem to have collected a few more than when I left the house this morning.

And - quick work by Tim Creswell who fixed his flat FAST right before the start......and Jeff Galland for fixing his snapped chain right before the start. That was some quick work!

Okay, now for the results - Congratulations to Elizabeth Brent and Mike Ricks for winning the Messilla Valley Trophies this time around -

http://www.flickr.com/photos/chicovelo/2495879778/in/set-72157605079219719/

Category "B":
1. Elizabeth Brent 1:57:32
2. Teresa Kludt
3. Renee Fiack
4. Jeff Ochs
5. Kim Agur
6. Walt Schafer
7. Grace Twedt
8. Jeanne O'Regan
DNP(Did Not Place): Preben, Bill Brent, Gabrielle Walters, Lisa Martens, Mike & Janine Rood(on a Tandem), Jenn Gruber, Sandra Barton, Christa Ritchey.

Category "A":
1. Mike Ricks 1:32:47
2. CJ Humphries
3. David Albrecht
4. Rob Bishop
5. Alex Blease
6. Ryan MacDonald
7. Janeen Thorpe
8. Mike Thorpe
DNP(Did Not Place): Kyle Hughes, James Plummer, Colby Elliot, Jeff Seyfried, Mike Castaldo, Benjamin Bryant, Tim Creswell, Jeff Galland.