Let’s say you’re racing the Chequamegon 40 and 15+ minutes (or 5miles) into the race going up one of the first hills on the birkie trail, you drop a chain? It takes approximately 37 seconds to render it free from the derailleur jockey pulleys, shift the front derailleur so it can be re-worked onto the chainring in front, and run the bike up the hill to jump back on & start pedaling.
Answer? Way toooo many. But for quantitative purposes? Approximately just over 100.
It wasn’t the kindest start to a super fast Chequamegon 40 this year, but a card that can easily be dealt to anyone. You jump back on, find your pace and move up as far as you can given the freight train of 30 super fast guys you were part of is long, long gone.
Ah well, the self imposed pressure to perform well sorta gets tossed out the door and it liberates you to have a little more fun with the race.
That’s what I did & for the first time ever I didn’t precipitously bonk out in the Chequamegon 40 – even road up into the top 40 before finish 50th overall. Racing feels a lot better when you’re not completely dead at the end. I gotta try that strategy more often.
Hope to have more of recap & a few good stories along the way later. Plus for the newbies to power training or numbers geeks(myself included) – got some wattage & power numbers to share from this race & comparisons to some others…. now just to find the time to write it up….
Great seeing so many of you out there today! Thanks for making big events like the Chequamegon Fat tire festival as special as they are.
