On Bicycles, and.... what else is there?

I came, I saw, it kicked my ... The Diamond Valley Road Race hit me on Saturday like a punch in the gut. Our well-tempered pack of not much more than 30 riders started peacefully enough: we rode civilly from starting area to begin the first of five laps of the 11.4 mile course. My goal: stay near the front to have a good position on the subsequent climb. This is something I'd failed to do each of my previous two rides here, and in each case it cost me added anaerobic stress during the beginning of the two-part climb. In each case I'd managed to survive these efforts, move up during the race, and exploit general attrition to place (for me) fairly well. But it's always easier climbing from the front than the back: position on a climb this short is money in the bank worth more than any weight-weenie gram shaving. I'd arrived with Cara to our campground late Friday afternoon. A solid night's rest camping at Grover Hot Springs, then a relaxed breakfast, and I still...