Collin Classic 2015

6.13.15

take 3.

This ride, in its 24th year, is held in Mckinney.  Hider encouraged me to participate in this event 3 years ago, and, I've been there each year since.  This is a big event, with 3000 cyclists participating this year.

I had bit of a challenge in figuring out my racing schedule for the next two weeks.  I'd signed up for the Collin Classic awhile ago, and, planned on running the Jalapeño Half next weekend to keep my monthly 13.1 streak alive.  However, Lindsi scheduled Griffin's b-day party for next Sunday, so, I found myself scrambling to find a half for this weekend.  Initially, I thought I would opt for the Moonlight Madness Half tonight, but, luckily, I found another half for tomorrow.  I mention all of this because I was afraid that I would be forced to scale back my distance at the Collin Classic today, as I would be running tonight.

I was unsure what to expect out of this one, as I'd not spent much time in the saddle lately, and, I'd not completed a distance over 30 miles since last August.

I arrived to an unseasonably cool day with cloud cover and occasional light showers.  That led to a comfortable start to the ride.

Hider and I connected prior to today's start, and visited for a bit.  Then, much like last year, we didn't see each other again until the finish line.

This ride draws about 3000 riders, so, the first several miles are a little congested.  Things thin out nicely after about 10 - 15 miles.

At the 18 mile mark, I had a weird thing happen...A large dog darted out into the road right in from of me.  I locked up my tires and avoided hitting him...heart rate elevation...check.

I felt really good through the 1st 30 miles.  I was pacing fairly well, had no cramping or fatigue, and the bike was rolling great.   As the sun came out, the air became quite humid, but, the temps remained reasonable for June in TX.

I hit each rest stop on this ride, as I'm still cleansing, so, wanted to make sure I had plenty of fuel to keep me going.  Lots of oranges, bananas, and gatorade today.  I did take my endorolytes each hour and also had 1 Gu along the way.

I began to feel a little cramping at the 50 mile mark, but, was able to push through.  The only other issue of note was my sore back and neck.  Clearly, I need more time in the saddle to get used to the cycling posture again.

All in all, a fairly uneventful day...

I was 1 mph faster than the same ride a year ago, but, still fairly slow at 16 mph for 62.3 miles.

now...time for some rest before tomorrow's half!