Puerto Rico Day 1

Puerto Rico Day 1

So I lied last night.   As I closed the computer Mark and the photographer busted me down in the lobby playing on the computer.   They got this great idea to go and have a Mojoto.  I figured well what the heck just one.  I was really on track to be in bed by nine but that did not happen.   I only had one but this particular bar served fresh hard boiled eggs instead of nuts of something.  Mark started eating them and before we left we went through 16 eggs. I only had two and Mark had 12.   I was afraid to be in the same room with him.   We did not get our bikes and stuff ready until after 12.  Mark fell asleep quick and there I was listening to his breathing.   He has a lung infection so breaths pretty heavy.  I was up a while before I needed to get up at 4:30am.

This morning we hit the ground running.   The ride did not start until 6 but we were supposed to be there at 5.  I had a really heaving bag full of books to carry a couple of blocks but made it ok.   We got started on time and I did plan on leaving with the “A” group. All 460 people rode to the first check point and then the “a”riders went off.  I really did not want to ride to hard but I did not want to wait in lines either.   The price you pay for small lines in huge pain.   I was hanging ok  at first.  I worked my way to the front of the pack getting ready to do my pull.  We had two pace lines side by side and a good pace going.   Just when it was my time to pull the guy beside me decided to pick up the pace.  I looked like a darn idiot next to him so I pulled off to go to the back.  This was how the day started.   I hung on to the pack but just before breakfast we got to a big hill and I lost them toward the top.  I am lacking some power but I did catch back up to the group.   This is pretty much how the whole day went.    I lost the pack just before every stop that we took.   The pack was much faster than last year or I was  much slower.   I was suffering more than last year but what should I expect  after taking off for 2 months?  I was still enjoying the weather and nice climate here Puerto Rico.  I was just getting my butt kicked.

There are some people from Houston here and some of them were in the “A” group.  Well they were not actually from Houston.   Steve was from UK, Stewart from London, and this really fast girl was from Paris.   I hung with them as much as possible.   This guy Steve was constantly taking pictures and catching up to the pack.   In the end of the ride he was leading the pack in and dropped everyone.   There were some really great athletes here.   Stephanie was always looking out for me.   I would not mind living close to Houston if I were friends with these guys.  The accents were great.

So there was a point I did think about sabotaging my own ride.   I got dropped sooner then I wanted to near the end.   I was not sure how far since I don’t ride with a speedometer but I was cooked.   I started wondering what excuses I could make up for getting dropped.  I thought about saying I had a flat.  To make it look more realistic I could take out a tube and put a hole in it.  Then I remembered that I did not have any CO2 or a pump so I could get busted in my lie.   I then thought about catching a cab since I was going to have to anyway since the hotel was not close to the finish.   Just then I saw a tent with athletes in it.  I had caught up to them again.   I was stoked but really did not want to ride hard again.   WE only had 20 left but I got dropped again about 7 miles out of town.   There were others as well so we all rode in.   I did ride behind Stephanie.  Just at the end we could see the pack riding into the town square.  Stephanie had pulled us up to the pack again.  Talk about girl power.

Overall I had a good time today.  I knew I was going to pay for not training for 2 months but I will get it back.  Part of me never wants to take off but then another part of me thinks it would be easier just to sit around and watch TV.   Still training and meeting new people is my life.   I met lots of nice people today and that makes any hell ride worth it.  I am planning on going to with the “A” team but I might move back to the B team.   It sure was nice to have the hotel room to myself for my shower before Mark got in.  We got in at 3:30.   I heard one guy mention his ride time in my group was 7:35 for the day.  I was not but that might give you an idea of how fast the group was moving.