Cooper Spur Pain Cave.

Pain. It's what we are all here for. In large doses.

Large doses are what the Cat 4's received during the Cooper Spur Circuit Race.

With the climbing beginning about 3K from the start, the usual surging began in spurts and by the time the group hit the final 5K of the climb on the first lap, it began to come unglued. Patrick Dean and Jeff Spaulding remained at the front as Matt, Tim and I began to float backwards. Kibbler and myself joined up with a chase group on the descent and had the peleton within striking distance, but we made a group arrangement to keep it steady as the second lap of climbing was to begin shortly. At this point, Spaulding jumped on a move that took ten riders of the front as Patrick stayed in the splintered pack with Tim and I just down the road and Matt right behind us.

As we made the turn onto the second climb with our group about to make a bid to make contact with the peleton, I heard my seatpost/seat clamp bolt make a horrific noise as my saddle slid to a 45 degree position...nose up. That was how I rode the second lap...all 18 miles of it. AT the top of the climb, I borrowed a 6mm wrench from a spectator and fixed my issue. However, the issue of my legs not having anything and me still feeling like they stuck me on that machine in the 'Princess Bride' that sucks years of your life away after the 24 hour race two weeks ago was not so easily fixed. Tim waited for me to catch back on and we rode the descent together again, picking up a few riders. As we made the turn for the last 15k climb, the weather turned evil and a head wind hit me in the chest like a sledgehammer. Rain and hail beat on us the whole way up the last ascent.Tim felt good and was climbing well, so up the road he went and I opted to pull the chute and save it for the TT, 90 mile RR and crit.

Up the road, Jeff's group stayed away and he pip'ed some guys in the break at the line for a stellar 2nd Place. Patrick rolled across as the next CF'er in the main group as Tim, Matt and myself tricked in with bigger time gaps.

I promptly drank 17 gallons of cane sugar soda. We all headed to Partick, Jeff, Tim and Andy's condo to face some Cucina Fresca Pasta. We touched each other with electric back massagers that I'm certain were meant for another purpose (Yes, I've seen the Sex in the City episode). Derek, Blackness and I rolled to the race HQ to check TT start times for the next day and I was given the ominous start time of 13:13. Lucky, huh?

DiRtY. Out.