Today, my Noble Friends Along The Path, ilg played a tactical card during my 3 Days of Pain…i chose to execute my New Daddy responsibilities and had two goals for this morning’s vicious, untested, 8-corner, manhole-puncuated, construction zone criterium race among the hundreds of spectators in downtown Durango: 1) don’t go down, and 2) conserve as much explosive power and endurance for tomorrow’s 13-mile Time Trial, the final event. ilg is stoked to report that i completed both goals.
When i got word that the crit course would be new and that we would ALL be racing together as B’s – nearly 90 of us on a super tight course with 2 pinch zones at speed? i defaulted to Wise Discrimination at this station of my life. i’d rather play it as safe as possible and finish all three days than to burn futile effort attempting to keep up with guys decades younger (the winner of our B category was none other than local 16 year-old phenOM; Chris Blevins…product of my own Durango Nordic Team…who is now on Garmin’s Youth Development Team. Chris 16. Yes. 16. In Yesterday’s Road Race, he won the non-pros in a time around 2:30 which would have got him close to 30th OA in the Men’s Pro, then, he won today’s crit in our B division, plus a $150 sprint prime 2 laps before the last lap, THEN, he IMMEDIATELY left the Crit Course, to go race in the Men’s PRO Mountain Bike Race! Tomorrow, he’ll race the Time Trial as well. I tell you, it’s happening faster and faster with the younger generation! I bow in wow. Moments before the crit this morning, i was with Chris and he did even realize the course had changed. i altered him to the changes, he nodded in thanks. When the Start Gun went off, he just attacked. Oh to be 16.
Our Crit took place up and down, up and down, and across Main and W. 2nd Avenues…2 uphills, 2 blazing descents for what was supposed to be 45 minutes plus 5 laps. i lasted nearly 20-minutes before former National RR Champion, Chris Wherry, pulled our chasing group out for the sake of the faster firing (and much younger) lead group. i actually lasted longer than some of my Omnium rivals and gained a few points. i think going into the Time Trial tomorrow, i’m somewhere near 5th place as i write this report.
The REAL story of our Crit Day however, belongs to Dewachen who made a last minute decision early this morning, about 40 minutes before her Kid’s Crit official start time,
“Daddy?”
“Yes, Dear?”
“I’ve decided that I DO want to race today!”
“You DO!?!”
“Yes.”
“Because, I just remembered that you get a Water Bottle and treats!”
“That’s great, sweetie…how come?”
“Awesome…let’s light this thing up!”
So, in a frenetic Family Time Trial all its own, we got her to the Staging Area of the 5 year-olds…here they are, on the Start Line…Dewachen is unseen among the anxious peleton…
that elegant spine? that focus? that’s definitely a WF-raised Warrior Princess! Mary Monroe, the Goddess of Trails 2,000 and wife of National MTB Champion and native Durangoan, Travis Brown, came up to me after Dewa’s race, ‘Steve! My GOD! Talk about EYE OF THE TIGER!! Geezo!! Dewa’s focus was incredible!”
Girl Power! Dewa gives “The Stare” to some poor training-wheel tethered boy before launching another attack down Main Avenue…
Girl’s got some sick cornering skills!
Gotta take your helmet off before the hardware goes on, honey…
Daddy preppin’ Dewa for what appears to be a long life of post-race interviews from the podium. Dewa won the 4-lap, age 5 Kids Crit among the girls,
however, the most important thing was; she had a TON of FOCUSED FUN, baby! Way to KILL IT, Dewa!
Tomorrow: Day Three; The Race of Truth
These teachings are the "Rasas" or "sap" of Wholistic Fitness. You’ll find insights to ponder, student chi to keep your own chi topped off, and plenty of proven training techniques to test on your own body, mind, and spirit! Also, you’ll find my very popular Race Reports, and news of our Sangha’s (community’s) latest transpersonal fitness adventures!