Bradbury 12, The Post part 2

It's around here that things start to get fuzzy and everything starts to meld together for me but I'll do my best to piece it all together is a somewhat coherent fashion. That also reminds me, you know how you can get a song stuck in your head during a race or long ride? I know that it happens to a lot of people and I've talked about it here before but during the BB12 I hit a new record. I had the same song running through my head the whole time I was out there. It's the music they play before the Opie and Anthony show on XM (I've been told it's the theme song from Hang em High I think). What does this have to do with the race? Not much really but it turns out, it's a pretty good song to ride to. Usually I get some crap ass kids song stuck in my head so this was a pleasant change.

Back on the course after another quick nutrition break and I believe this time I found myself with KillBill and eventual 3rd place geared solo finisher Greg Jancaitis. Nothing too exciting happened here (that I can remember) so flash forward another lap. KillBill had disappeared up the trail and Greg and I rolled into the pits together. I don't remember who got back on the trail first but within 10 minutes we'd be riding together again. This would happen for three or four laps total where no matter who was on the trail first, we'd always somehow find ourselves together and finishing the laps together. Very weird.

By around the 8 hour mark I finally knew that I was solidly in the lead. Apparently I was correct and Chris' fast early pace was taking it's toll and his laps had slowed considerably. Mine, thankfully, were staying consistent (within 6 minutes of my 3rd lap time) so I was gradually pulling away.

Around 5:30 I mounted my lights (mandatory after 4:45) and headed out again beginning to hate life. My low back, shoulders and neck were frickin killing me. Not quite enough to make me stop but enough to make me really want to. Two thirds of the way into the lap I met KillBill who was on the side of the trail. The day was taking a toll on his back as well so he had stopped to stretch and would end up pulling the plug at the end of the lap. It was Steve's first 12 hour race so if he does it again next year I'm sure he'll have more success. He certainly was fast for the first 8 laps.

Into my tenth lap (with the lights finally on) I really felt like I was slowing down. My lap time didn't really show it but I was in a world of hurt and I was being passed by many more people. My neck was frickin killing me and it was starting to cause a nasty headache. Not good. I found myself listening very carefully to riders as they'd catch me hoping to hear the tell tale sound of derailleurs and chain slap so that I'd know that Chris wasn't closing in.

By the time I came around to finish my 11th lap it was about 6:45pm. Race rules said that you needed to be out on your lap before 7 or you were done for the day. There was no way that I wanted another lap but I had no idea how much of a gap I had over Chris in second. So, once in the pits, I dispatched Marcy, dad and darren to the timing tent to see where I was in relation to Chris. I was hoping I had lapped him at some point while he was pitting but that didn't turn out to be the case. The last lap that was logged I was 40 minutes up and with only 15 minutes left before the cut off I figured I was safe. Never the less, I asked my father and darren to backtrack a bit on the trail and give us a call if they saw Chris coming so that I could dart out for another lap if necessary.

Time ticked by painfully slow but, finally, I was given the go ahead to cross the line and call it a day. Phew.