SavageMan Pre-Race

We drove out to Maryland on Thursday, leaving at 5am. Thankfully we had Friday off to recover, regroup, and recon the course.

The highlight of the day was driving the courses. The 30.0 course was a lollipop course, and the 70.0 was a loop. They shared only a few miles, with the 30.0 stick being on the end of the 70.0.

My biggest concern going into this race was not the climbs. I was more nervous about the descents!! That's all I could see in the bike profile! I knew I was a downhill chicken, so I nerved about riding the brakes, controlling the bike, keeping my hands loose...of all things.

The 70.0 course started off with a bang on Toothpick hill, then stayed curvy and relatively flat the first 6-7 miles. Then down-down-down to Savage River for 4-5 miles, then a few flat miles, then the Wall. And OMG our first sighting of the wall!! OMG!! We got out of the car, speechless, in awe, and walked the hill. The street was in worse condition than I imagined. Pits, cracks, holes, and more. And not smooth pits and cracks, but rocky ones with the stones underneath exposed. I started making plans. Stay to the right, the pavement is better. Don't vear left, the street slopes that way and you'll speed into the curve. Keep your eyes on the good pavement and the bike will follow. Keep the pedals moving if the wheels slip in a crack.

We met other riders doing as we were--planning ahead--and learned more about how the Wall works on race day. Walking away from the Wall with a plan had a calming effect. I realized this hill can be done if I stay smart.

And that's just the first hill! And just the bottom of a 7.1 mile climb up Big Savage Mountain! The rest of the course was amazing. Sweeping turns, fast descents, long slow climbs, dangerous winding sections. But good pavement, gorgeous scenery, and funny signs all along the way. The 30.0 course was mild in comparison.

Packet pickup, then back to the house to pack up. The weather was a concern--what was going to be warm enough for 45-50F temps in the downhills? This generated a lot of discussion, a lot of this or that, and a lot of worry.

I had 3 other worries. I was carsick from the course drive--headache and buzzy disoriented feeling. Second, I had a calf cramp at the end of Weds swim that still hurt. I was worried about the muscle being damaged and only getting worse as the weekend wore on. But I did what I could to rest. Lastly, the tired on the Bird was in bad shape so I changed it to the spare I packed. The spare wasn't in great shape either. I had the race bike sponsor replace it with a nice Bontrager tire as a peace of mind purchase.

Other funny things in the day: James Tayler's greatest hits, Joe's I AM SO SMRT pj pants, and Damn You Joe Metzger!.

Otherwise, I felt great. I had that pleasant razor's edge feeling that I used to get before a race. A sort of electric buzz. Let's get it going!!