Stage Race training...I figure

Two weeks out from Cascade so I figured I would pack on some big miles with ridiculous amounts of steep ass climbing.

Saturday: Climb to Kaiser, 155 miles and 13,500' of elevation with extended sections of 16 to 18% grades. At 8,000 feet.
Yeah, it's hard, no matter how you slice.
In the past I have ridden this thing like a race, as do most. Even finished second one year.
This year I needed to keep a little in the tank for Sunday (more later in the post).
Drove out with teammate Corey after we had been doing some smog training during the week.
I figured it was a lot like elevation training in that there has not been much oxygen in the air this last week.
This was Corey's first time at C2K. Corey has the history of endurance events being an Iron Man finisher and a pretty fair climber. This beast would test his metal, and did. We finished it up despite a few mechanical issues with broken spokes and a flat tubular. We weren't breaking any speed records, but no physical mishaps or cramping (like most).
After following the Sierra Pacific Bosch Express team leadout on the flats we learned that Corey popped a spoke on his rear William's 38 Carbon Tubular. It slowed us down as we nursed the wheel to the rest stop with a mechanic for some truing.
I was amazed out how straight the wheel ran with a spoke missing, and even more amazed at how true it stayed with the abuse dished out over the course.

In the end having to be ginger with his rear wheel kept me out of the red zone and 9 hours and 45 minutes of sub threshold riding kept me relatively fresh. Sort of.

Here is a video from a cam that Corey had with him. The sound track fits perfectly.

Sunday (today): CCCX Mountain Bike Race Series finally, Pro/Semi-Pro.
I figured running long on Saturday and then really hard on Sunday would simulate some hard stage like racing. I also figured I was just racing today to survive.
Turned out to be my best placing of the series with a third place finish.
No change to the overall, I had a good lock on 4th even if I hadn't done well today.
It was really cool biting off a big chunk of hard coreism and finishing the series in the money.

CCCX had some nice bling as usual.
A flat of California Giant Strawberries (I have never had them before, and DAMN they are good!)
CCCX T-Shirt (worn with pride)
CCCX Hat
Best of all, a very nice commemorative plaque showing the accomplishment.

Cheers!