Saturday, April 19, 2014

Apr-09: Oxford 104

10 days after the ride, and now I'm gonna' finally write something?

My friend Lynn wanted to get in a populaire before the 10th.
I wanted to get in back-to-back rides (I'd ridden the 'Bunn Wash Caper' the day before).
We did the 'Bay Leaf - Oxford - Bay Leaf' perm-pop.

Let me explain something about Lynn:
She is a faster rider than me.
Much faster.

To help keep the pace under control for the first part of the ride,
I took the lead and didn't drop out of leading.
Lynn was reasonably accepting of that.
After all, we were riding into a headwind.

After crossing the Tar River outbound, Lynn took the lead.
I think it was on Antioch Rd when I suggested that I was going to send an email to our friend Ian,
Noting that every time I got comfortable with the pace, she seemed to increase it.

Lynn didn't want me to do that,
Claiming that I was referencing stuff from a couple years ago.
I wasn't able to dispute the point as I had to drop her off my front wheel
In order that I not to go into oxygen debt.

At the turn-around, I pointed out that maybe Lynn wasn't the tornado from a few years ago,
But that she is still a strong and fast rider.
[I saw her trying to hide a smile.] 

Trying to keep her under control on the homeward bound leg,
I led for the first 10-miles.
Ten, flat, wind-aided miles.

But as we started the climb back up the steep slope after crossing the Tar River,
Lynn came around me as if I were standing still (I wasn't going very fast),
And seemingly without pedaling hard, she disappeared up and away.

I next saw Lynn 22-miles later, at the finish control.
Officially, she finished 13-minutes before me.

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