Monday, April 7, 2008

Only 4 Days Until the Sufferfest - I can't wait!

Yep, it's the start of the stage race season for us uuber amateur, masterette fatties - the Madera Stage Race. This year promises to be a good 20 degrees cooler than last year, which should make it oh-so-much-more pleasant out there. However, it will be less of a test of how things will fare at the almost-guaranteed-to-be-super-hot Kern County Women's Stage Race.

Looks like the W4 is shaping up to be a bit more competitive this year. I'll probably have to work a little harder if I want to replicate that 10th place from last year (which I moved up to from last place during the road race due to flat tires and attrition). I will likely be the sole representative of our team, so may have to broker some deals out there. I'm not below bribing temporary team mates with ice cold chocolate milk and other such niceties. And, I do have a real TT setup this year, so hopefully won't replicate my last place finish there.

I've been working on my fitness and have a nice fat layer stored up for the final, 51 mile assault. Of course, that assumes my heart rate will be low enough to actually tap into the fat layer. If not, there is always the promise of replenishing the glycogen stores at the Dairy Queen on the way out of town. I swear, the truck-stop DQ is one of the best things happening in Madera. I can taste that chocolate-malty-ice-cream-headache specialness already.

11 comments:

beth bikes! said...

all this talk of dairy chocolate goodness almost makes me want to go! (but alas, i will be doing a couple match sprints and calling it a weekend.)

EB said...

I am going to miss it this year, but damn if I'm doing three stage races in as many weekends!

Might have a milkshake, though...;)

place_holder said...

mmmmm, i like their oreo blizzard.

chatterbox said...

beth - I think you can count 2 match sprints as 2 stages. Then, you can reward yourself with chocolate goodness.

panda - bummer. You'll be missed. But, yeah, 3 stage races in 3 weeks is probably not indicated.

twinkie - Blizzard. mmmmm.

Chris said...

Best of luck in your race. 10th is a solid finish. Winning this year will even be better.

Itinerant Rick said...

Whatever you want to fuel you on in your exploits is yours! I am ready to play the supporting role this weekend, and the bikes are almost ready.

And ... Happy Anniversary!!!!!!

chatterbox said...

chris - thanks!

cyclistrick - Happy Anniversary to you, too! Thanks for being the best friend/husband/soignier/mechanic/chef/lover a girl could ask for!

~ lauren said...

ooOOH! good luck!

sounds, uh, like a nice time.

marscat said...

we go for the Ficklin port over the DQ.

see you there.

chatterbox said...

lauren - thanks!

marscat - is there a problem with having both? :)

Ippoc Amic said...

I loves me some dairy queen...vanilla ice cream on a cone dipped in chocolate wax...oops cholocate sauce...see you in two daze...