Newton's Revenge (M 46-49)

MapMyRide map of the route (Which doesn’t include the finishing ramps with the 22% grade…I wonder what color they’d use for that?)

Mt. Washington, NH, Newton’s Revenge race. Sunny, 70’s, but seemed hotter. No breeze. Humid. Very much like last August’s race. Completely different than the day before, the originally scheduled date – which was 50’s, rain, winds, T-storms. Today’s forecast was for low 60’s, clouds, with 50’s on top with winds 15-25, gusting to 35. So, I went with short sleeves & base layer, with bib knickers – figuring that’d be good in the cool with winds – not wanting to get above the tree line and get a wind chill like on the practice ride this year and last year.

Thanks to last year’s finishing time, I got to start in the “Top Notch” group, going off five minutes before the next wave. Lined up with my wheel between Tom Danielson and Marti Shea, the top woman hillclimber in the area. Funny enough, those two banged shoulders as they were clipping in with opposite feet, toward each other.

The group started fast, faster than expected. Within the first two minutes, I was already at the back of the pack, and sliding quickly. I zeroed in on my target range of 245’ish Watts, not wanting to blow up big time. I expected that a lot of these folks would be coming backward at some point, and that I’d catch and pass them by riding my race. There were a few Top Notch’ers behind me, but not many. I did pass a few, one with a mechanical (another CTS athlete), within the first mile, but that was about it.

My goal was to keep my miles in the 8-9 minute range. 8 min avg would get me in at 64 min – which I knew was a huge stretch goal. 9 min would get me in at 1:12, which was what I did in August. 10 min would get me in just under the Top Notch cut off of 1:20. I was hoping for around 8:30 avg, for a 1:08-1:10 finish.

Even with being at the back of the pack, I had people to follow and track down. So, that was helpful – I think. My first mile was completed in 7:56. Pretty good, I thought, if a smidge hot, but I was following wheels, and feeling good. 85 rpm avg. Approx. 9.8% avg grade. 74 F.

The second mile took 7:59. Again, right on target, if a bit fast. Still feeling good and strong, with an avg cadence of nearly 80. Approx. 11% avg grade. Targeted a couple riders up the road, including the BUMPS points leader for my age. 70 F as we stayed under the trees.

And then the struggling started. 10:06 third mile, cadence down to 74 mph. 12.5% avg grade. 69 F – hunting for shade – stifling with no breeze. Caught the two riders ahead of me, and targeted Marti Shea up the road. Not panicked about the time – this is a tough mile.

Power was definitely slipping over the third and fourth miles. Tried to pick it up, but nothing doing. 10:18 for the fourth mile. 11.5% avg. 73 rpm. 68 F. Was just trying to get though this mile, knowing that’d put me at the halfway mark. Definitely suffering here. Wondered why I was out here, and had to quash the desire to just stop and get off the bike. Totally soaked with sweat. (The weather was really much, much warmer than predicted just a few hours earlier. The base layer wasn’t needed, nor helpful, and the bib knickers were way too hot. So glad I’d skipped the arm warmers, vest, and finger gloves. Making the right clothing call here is tough.)

Not much better on the fifth mile, which covered the dirt section, if I recall. 12.7% avg grade. 11:27. 70 rpm, 79 F – exposed, no breeze, beating sun. Sipping water as I could. The two guys I’d passed now passed me as we hit the dirt. I didn’t have the zip to chase them down. I figured I’d claw my way back, stay close and pour it on at the end. Legs were feeling dead and snapless. Saw a couple basins of water for cooling radiators (not for drinking). Wondered if they’d be safe for dunking my head. Opted not to.

Was doing mental calculations, and knew that I was just a bit ahead of the 10 min. average over the first five miles, and that it was possible that I could still be 1:20, but just barely. Knowing that there was just under three miles left, I tried to rally, and to chase down the guys ahead of me.

Managed a slightly faster sixth mile at 10:55 over the 11.3% avg. grade. Rpm dropped to 69, and the temp was at 71. Got passed by two riders from the next wave back – started 5 min. behind us. They were flying. Chapeau to them. Another rider caught me and tried to encourage me. I rode with him from somewhere in mile six to near the last half mile, but couldn’t hold his wheel.

The grade slackened a bit in the seventh mile, to about 10.7%, and my time was 10:12 at 74 rpm. Temp was 70 even. I knew that I was close, and could see the last tough parts coming up. Sometimes, I think that the foggy days are best, as you don’t see what’s coming. It’s kind of intimidating in broad daylight. Tried to close in on the three riders ahead of me, but just couldn’t get going. Even at the low power that I was putting out, I was feeling maxed. Was still hoping to make a push over the last portion of a mile.

I did manage to pick up the pace across the flatter section leading to the end ramps, but was feeling like I needed to hold something back. I was seriously concerned that I wouldn’t have the strength to make it up the last bit – the three short steep ramps with the 22% grade in the middle. Didn’t want to falter/go down there. Realized that I didn’t have it to sprint up to the guys ahead, so I focused on a strong, clean finish. Shifted into the easiest gear as I approached, and tried to spin my way up, getting out of the saddle to hold down the front wheel.

Crossed the line going hard, and kept it upright as I came to a stop after the line. Was spent, but not wobbly. Unclipped, someone draped the nice Polartec blanket over me and handed me a medal and a bottle of water. I walked the bike through the chute, found a big rock and sat down. Pretty darned tired, and totally soaked.

End result: 1:14:17, good for 25th overall, and 5th (out of 38) in my age. Faster than my practice ride (in the rain), but a bit slower than last year’s Mt. Washington race. That said, I’m not that bummed. Yes, I’d have loved to have done better, but I know that this was as well as I could ride today. I’m tired from Fitchburg-Longso, still recovering from the crash, and didn’t have the legs, lungs, or heart to do much more. Looking back, it’s easy to think, “Oh, I could’ve pushed more there, or there,” but I’m not sure that I could have. My legs, and the rest of me, are feeling as tired as I can remember for a while. Maybe Mt. Graham was the last time I felt like this. On the drive back, from the time I got in the car, my legs – especially the quads – were just beat, and near shaky.

So, no excuses at all. I rode as best I could today. And, if while being tired and fading I can still beat 1:15, I’ll take it. That tells me that I’m a good, but not great climber. I wasn’t up to the competition today, but then I wasn’t targeting this as an “A” race, and I wouldn’t have given up Fitchburg last week to do so. This race brought out a lot of specialty climbers, and folks who were totally targeting this race. The guys who finished 1-2 in my age crossed the line in 1:01 and change – I’m not in that class. Not yet anyway. I think that 1:09’s a reasonable goal, but I don’t think I’m yet at the sub 8 min avg yet.

Oh, one other note: I ran the 26T chainring, and still found myself in the 25 & 27T gears most of the way after the first few miles. Again, really struggling throughout, and just needed that combo. Tom Danielson, on the other hand, was running a 39T as his small ring, and had a 28 in back. He also covered the climb in 2/3 of my time – which is why he’s a pro, and I’m a Cat 4.