A Day at the Races

The Grandview races were Sunday and so I made my first visit.....WOW, what have I been missing!!!! Get this, among all the other sights and sounds, half way up the hill before the start/finish line, in a shady area there is a family that serves FREE beer and food and announce the fact with a large cardboard sign.  I arrived in time to catch the men's Cat 4 race and saw 3-4 guys who periodically ride with us on Tuesdays, including the B1 dude on the right, who I think finished with the lead pack at the finish.

---

After the Cat 4's finished what must best be described as a lethargically paced effort (that hill, the heat and humidity take a heck of a toll) with even the race announcer extolling them to ride faster, the women's race began.  There was Katherine, just getting back into racing, mixed in with Cat 1's, 2's, 3's, etc... looking fresher than she would after 20 times up that hill but she did it, even flatting once and having to make a pit stop tire change before re-entering the race.  I must say, Steve O, Rick and I marveled at the intensity with which the women attacked that hill, again and again.  The word "lean" definitely comes to mind watching them motor by. A couple who shared our shady spot and follow woman's racing answered the obvious question about which men's category is equivalent to a woman's Cat 1 and they said Cat 3, if so, it has to be a very strong Cat 3 cyclist.   

I had to leave just after the start of the men's 1/2 race but before leaving ran into Kenda's Paul & Janet, with their new Doberman puppy.  They noted there were several Kenda riders in the race but after the first lap, we could not spot them as the pack rode by in a blur.  Someone said the Pro Kendaites probably were DQ'd for trying to short cut the route.  Ha!  That's funny.  Also at the race was Dennis, Ted M, Woody (working at the Trek pit stop) and one of the Jeni's cyclists who used to ride with us on Tuesdays (David I think?).  Anyway, his school schedule is changing and he can ride with us again, probably bringing Nate along too, this week.  They have had to cut back their riding but he appeared to still be in pretty good shape.

---