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third road race - Lille Jotunheimen Rundt
I'm a bit out of it, as I did this race a week ago and immediately after set off for a week hiking in the mountains with dh and kid and friends, where I promptly got sick and have now spent a week wandering dizzily around with a light fever, reduced hearing and no sense of smell... But I'll see if I can keep my mind collected enough to write a race report.
This was the short version of my main big hairy bike goal, which is Jotunheimen Rundt, an endurance "race" (the Norwegian term is "tour-race") which goes all the way around Jotunheimen, a scenic mountain range where I've spent many winter holidays and entire summers. JR is 430 km/267 mi long with a monstrous amount of hills and takes most people 20 hrs or so, while "Little JR" is 137 km/85 mi with about 1600 m/5250 ft elevation and is much more doable. It starts at the small town of Lom about the same time that a lot of the riders doing the full JR come by, so up the long hills to the highest mountain pass you have exhausted riders that have been out there for maybe 16 hrs and bright-eyed bushy-tailed ones with a good night's sleep behind them that just started :p
Ok. So 193 of us started at Lom. My HR was sky high for the first 20 minutes or so, so when a definite lead pack split off I felt no need to tack on. Besides there was traffic that would have been hard to pass, there was a bit of a headwind and I was waiting for the hills which are my strongest point. Worked my way up slowly to just behind the front of the second pack, was joined briefly by my bike buddy wearing the same workplace team colours. When two tall thin sprightly young'uns peeled off I glommed on to their backs figuring it was about time to start working my way up the hills. Turned out a)they had lost the lead pack earlier and were trying to catch up :eek: and b) the hills hadn't started yet. But what the heck, they weren't hammering that bad so I stayed with them. They turned out to be the sweetest two young gentlemen ever, especially the one guy who was all of 17 or so but most understanding of this gasping "old lady" trying her darndest to keep up with them but hardly able to pull :D I swear he was born to be a team captain. Dear boy.
I kept company with them up all the hills, and just before the top we caught up with some of their teammates, and decided we'd stcik with them so that we'd have a functioning paceline once we got down to the flats. Lost the group briefly at the drink station at the top, jumped off my bike and refilled a water bottle from a stream which gave us time to regroup. Flew down the hairpin bends from 1500 m.asl. to sea level - OMG I HAVE NEVER RIDDEN SO FAST IN MY LIFE! :eek: - don't know how fast as my computer wasn't working but when I opened my mouth my lower lip would fill up with air and "bobble"...
Once down on the flats it was just a question of keeping a decent paceline going all the way in. Turned out I had joined a group of 4 or 5 club riders who were happy for the assistance, but who had very clear and strict rules. Once you had pulled "enough" team leader rang his little bell and you were expected to swing out and let the next one have a go :D Maybe this is common, I don't know, but I found it kind of amusing. Before us extras had got the hang of it there was a lot of irate bellringing from the back :D
Well, after one more dastardly 300 m elev. hill, adorned with a big red banner with my name on it that my dh had hung up :) there was just a long hill and a flat into Sogndal and the finish. We agreed to roll in side-by-side, and did so. Handshaking and all that, then lots and lots to drink.
I finished second out of 6 women in my age group, and 4th out of 19 women altogether, so I'm pleased. Felt a bit queasy during part of the ride even though I was very careful about drinking little and often, and eating whenever my HR was low enough to allow it. So I have a few bugs to iron out before doing the real biggie. But a great day all round!
PS. No pics from the ride, but this photo is from the highest pass, taken from a hiking trip we did there in 2004. Very pretty :)
