Tall Oak

I love when school starts and I can finally fall in to place with fitness. As I hide it from Boz, my goal this year was to peak specifically for the cross season and specifically to stay in front of him. Now, I know and have been told about his nutrition and his oxygen tents and Electra blood dilatation stuff. But I am still optimistic.

Case in point, the Tall Oak Challenge. First, I was there, others were not. Barring the fact that this is one of the best managed and best venue races in the state, I happen to always do pretty well here. I will take joy in the fact that the only two teams that beat the Geezer and I (understanding that I did indeed have a good teammate) were Team Chris Ploch and Tom Albert, and Team Cameron Chambers and the other dude. Some pretty stiff competition, likely the best in the state. I truly am not worthy but will take this one and put it on the wall.

The name of the game in team races like this is consistency and that is what Jimmyleg brought to the table. No, I wasn't dropping 34 minute laps, but the 36 and change seemed to do the trick with the Geezer ramping it down on the last lap to overcome our race for third.

The first lap a kid almost died before getting kicked into the ditch. By the way, kids, if you are in a Le Mans start, and you try and get the hole shot and you bog down because you are inexperienced, and you decide to block, or freak and can't move and there are a bunch of fast big dudes behind you and you are being yelled at and you still don't move and then some big and nasty old fart kicks you in to the Brier, well, you should take note for the next race. It is a 6 hour race, not won at the start.

I happened to have enjoyed this race, good company, our tent village was cool as were the folks who joined us. I can't say thanks enough to the Cow Town guys who made it a good race for Paul and I, we barely squeaked out the 3rd place finish. Great times.


Thanks to Chris's gal Laura for the pics.