Barry Roubaix Preview

 Why do I do this to myself?

I could start every morning like this. A single decision when I was 17 would have made my life look entirely different now....but we won't open that can of worms. lol.

Barry Roubaix is this Saturday. This event has always been great. It has turned into quite the spectacle over the years. This year I saw there are over 4500 racers....which means on Saturday the population of Hastings will likely double. If every racer brings 1 person with them, there will be an additional 9,000 people in a town of roughly 7500 people. Pretty amazing. Even more amazing that they seem to welcome this event with open arms. 

So why the prequel post? 

Well, let me start with the image below.....

Not only is it 62....its actually almost 65 with about 5,000 feet of climbing. Yikes. 

76.9 feet of climbing per mile. In comparison 45.9 feet per mile in the Dirty Thirty. 

First off, this was going to be a huge test to begin with. A few extra miles shouldn't matter in the grand scheme of things. I just need to ride my ride and get to the finish line. 

The turn off will mess me with mentally. When I reach the Head Lake and Wilkins road intersection I normally turn left. This intersection marks about 10 miles to go in the 36 mile race. Instead I will go straight ahead and have 40ish miles to go. Significant difference here. 

Here is where 2 things happen. First, the number of people on course will drop off. Of the 4579 people registered (as of 4-13-2023) only 1267 of them are on the 62 mile course. I can assure you that 95% of these people will be long gone for me by the split point. Let's be honest, I am not one of those strong riders that holds 18+ mph on gravel. I will take the company I have for the first 25 miles and then likely ride in solitary for the remaining miles.

Second, I have NEVER seen this course. Riding a long distance blind is going to be interesting. Yes I have done this before, but I like to have an idea of what I am doing. I was doing some you tube searching and found a video where the guy stated exactly what I said above. He offered a bit of insight, but....a lot can happen in 40 miles.

Lastly, there is another adder with the new private property section that Mr. Acker decided to add in this year. This is what pushed the course from 62 to nearly 65. 

 Taking a closer look....it appears it could be anything from sand, to gravel, to dirt, to pine needles. 

Then the last section that looks like we are riding thru someone's yard....

So when the unknown starts....it should be interesting.

With all this being said....what does it all mean? It means I will be out there doing what I can to get to the finish line. I am staring at a 5+ hour day in the saddle....and that is if things go right. Mentally I prepared for that, physically....we will see. Weather looks almost too warm. Road reports are all positive. Now its up to me.

Hard goal time is sub 5 hours. Realistically I will say 5:15 as finishing goal. If things go sideways I will do my best to be under 5:30. 

Not fast....but that isn't what this is about for me. Personal achievement. Personal success. All these things are measured differently. At some point this year those goals will change and will be competitive in some events. This event is training. Pushing myself. Testing. Refining. Gaining knowledge. Climbing those rungs of the success ladder. This is the foundation what will hold that ladder in place so I can keep climbing towards the top.

See you Saturday.