Fast Fitty Recap.....REDEMPTION

In 2020 this was the single event that I did. Mainly because it was one of the very few that was small enough to manage.  In 2020 this race was brutal. Hot. I was way out of shape for a 50 plus mile race....and it all stacked up to me sitting on the side of the road waiting for the sag vehicle with less than 4 miles to go. This story is different....

I arrived plenty early and there was no crowd. Grabbed my packet and headed over to park closer to the start area. I was wave 4 this year.....where I belonged with the right speed type people. It was a nice morning. Overcast with temps in the 70's. Should be a good day for an awesome ride.

On my warmup I had to get a closer look at this chopper. Pretty rad with its turret and bad ass rocket launchers. I started out away from the Legion to where the course started so I could get a grasp on how far to the gravel. The first mile is pavement. Nice little rollers and good pavement. I rolled out and back and my legs felt really good. I was excited to get started. I wandered thru a little trail and onto the starting road. 

This was the start of wave 1. They are up there a bit. People were spaced ok, but whatever...I had COVID so I wasn't even wearing a mask. We were outside.....so go fly a kite if you have an issue. The waves went off and I edged to the front of the group. I realized as we got to the line that I was at the front....like....very front. Not where I usually start because I am a slower rider. But alas, here I was with a variety of riders young and old. 

3, 2, 1....GO. We took off and made the first right off the gravel onto the initial stretch of pavement. BOOM. Someone shot off the front like a rocket. No...it wasn't me. I was about 3rd wheel and was feeling comfortable with the pace. A few guys passed and started the train. I was 4th wheel and we were hauling ass into the first turn onto gravel. The poor girl in front of me wasn't as confident as I was and we lost some speed....creating a gap. Those 2 dudes were gone. I dropped in behind the girl and off we went. I eventually heard a few people talking. They were strategizing whether to close the gap on the other two or to just stay in line. 

We hit a solid downhill and because gravity loves me I just rocketed down the hill. Now I was leading the train to close the gap. Not a place I should ever be, but whatever....I was feeling good a whole 2 miles in so why not. I was hauling....gaining on the group. No clue how many people were with me....I was just hammering the rollers and slowly gaining on the 2 leaders (of our wave ;)  )

As we reached almost 5 miles I had closed them down to less than 50 yards. But....the road turned left....and uphill. Rider after rider blew past me on the climb. A few thanks me for the pull, calling me a beast!. Well...you are most welcome.....but y'all suck for leaving me behind. lol. 

The next 20 miles were pretty quiet. Although I was still averaging a killer pace, I didn't believe it would hold up. I was remembering all the hills are after 30ish miles in. I was riding my race, but I was riding hard. Would see a person now and then, but was generally alone for those 20 miles. Then a big group came rolling up on me. There was 10-15 people in there. Hard to say because of the way they were riding. When I jump in a group I like to know they are predictable riders. This group.....pure chaos. lol. A group of friends just riding for fun....and that is awesome to see. But not a group that I could hang with. I jumped on the rear of the group and figured it out very quickly that it would be dangerous for me to keep with them. They would swerve left and right and swap places and the guy in the back was left and right and back left. No rhythm. Nothing but pure chaos. I got a gap put on me on the next climb and just didn't bother to chase anymore. Didn't seem worth my sanity...especially with 30 more miles to go. 

Things seem to settle down after that. I was feeling my hard pace in the beginning, but I was still feeling pretty good overall. Temps were getting higher as the clouds broke up. I was thankful for the shade of the trees. The gravel out there....was spectacular. Most of it was hard packed with a few loose sections, some washboard, and some sandy areas. Overall....couldn't have asked for better roads. Around 35ish miles I spied the aid station. I stopped for a quick second and grabbed a water, but then got right back on to keep going. Part of that previous group was there and we started the yo yo ride. One guy on a fatty had passed me before the aid station. Then he passsed me again. Then I passed him back at the next aid station. lol. He caught me one last time and told me I was doing a good job. I was feeling good....and closing in on the finish.

This is from recovery ride on Sunday. Bloomingdale Kal-Haven Caboose

These last pics are from my recovery ride on Sunday. More on that later. lol.

I passed 40 miles.....and then 45......and I was just riding my race. I know I had slowed down by now, but I was still holding a solid average. For those that saw....I had set a soft goal of 3:45 for this race. Looking at how many miles I had left...I started doing the math. I was close....so I had to keep pushing. 

Mile 50 I knew I was going to be within a few minutes. GO...push Sean.....GO. I couldn't see anyone in front of me....but nobody was gaining on me either. I was alone.....but I knew I only had a few turns left. Push....push.....and then I see it.....there on the right hand side of the road. A lonely tree pushing a little shadow out onto the dusty gravel. This was the exact spot where I stopped one year ago. A year ago I was beaten....work out...defeated. This year I was mashing the pedals as I zipped past the tree....with a smile on my face....and reaching for a bigger goal.

3 to go.......2 to go....where is that pavement?!? Finally I see the last right hander onto the pavement. Quick time check.....can I make it.....GO GO GO. I am pushing with all I have left....and my tank is empty. I could see the finish line in the distance as my goal time slipped by. Still....I was close. I made the last left and rolled across the finish line in 3:47....just missing my goal time. Still.....pretty stocked....and let me tell you why.

Remember when I said last year was rough. I was bringing this up because my time was brutal. I was one hour....and thirteen minutes faster this year. Yes...from 5:00 down to 3:47.....on the same course. Clearly there are a lot of factors that go into that time....but the main one is that I wanted to destroy that time from 2020. I did. Sure....I was the last male to finish.....and only 2 women finished after me.....but I finished strong and with a solid pace. 

Twas a bit dusty on the KH this day....

Overall it was a great day on the bike. Then I followed it up Sunday with a solid 36 mile group ride on Kal-Haven with the H's and BB. Weather was perfect and we kept the pace friendly. My average heart rate was only 117, which is perfect for recovery. This weekend is Hanson Hills 50....which will be a major test with all the climbing. It will be my first mountain bike race in a long time. And being heavy....I know the hills will be test.

But....C2C is coming quick. Just a few weeks away. Here are the next few weekends

Hanson Hills 50

Dirty Donut

Cowpie classic

weekend off....but I am planning a century

Coast 2 Coast

Shit just got serious.....