A good friend of mine, Tony Smith, raced down in Hawaii today while I was racing up here in Halifax. His race went a lot better than mine and he seems like he is in a bit better shape than me these days. He sent me an email about his ride and it was inspiring to read. I thought i would post it here for everyone to have a look and hear what he is up to. It sounds like an amazing race with stunning scenery and some solid climbs.
Hey Everyone,
To say I’m pumped would be a major understatement. I’ll have to be very careful not to sound like I’m bragging but simply feel the need to share an amazing experience today with a few friends.
We rolled out across the start line with ~ 150 riders at 6:30a.m.
I have very little experience (next to zero) with road racing and therefore found the first 10km excruciatingly slow just floating along barely pedaling in a huge peleton. As most of you know patience is not one of my best virtues. At about 15km into the 100km race I decided to try and have a little fun with the roadies and blasted off the front expecting a few guys to
- Tony at Sylvan Lake Camp
follow. Apparently this created a little discussion in the group but didn’t result in any kind of a chase. I guess there is a huge benefit to being an “unknown” factor on the island. Looking back and not seeing anyone flinch I decided to redline it for the next 15km and the peleton quickly disappeared. In an instant my race had just become a 100km solo time trial, oops. Classic rookie mistake, I was sure I was going to look very foolish with my suicidal move about 50km up the road….
The loop around the West Maui mountains is one of my all time favorite rides on the planet. The first 40km is essentially flat 4 lane highway by passing all the major resorts. At the 50km mark the road narrows down to one lane and the climbing begins. There is a total of ~ 4000 ft elevation to be negotiated over the next 40km. The “wall” comes early into the ride with an 18% grade. The views are absolutely incredible. Hairpin turns with long drops to the Pacific keep you on your guard. I was on fire, super excited to be at the front, wondering just how long I might enjoy the lead. I have ridden the loop just about every other day since I arrived on Maui April 01. Today marked my 8th tour, every time feeling just a little stronger than the last.
Shoulder checking after every switch back now I saw the inevitable chase pack of 4 riders closing the gap. They seemed to appear from nowhere and were reeling me in fast. I figured it was just a matter of time before they caught me and spat me out the back. Decision time came at around 80km as I was given a 45 second split back to the chase group from a race organizer. This was at the bottom of the longest climb of the ride, at the famous Banana Bread stand (for those who know the loop,) not one to give up easily I attacked the climb with everything I had. Looking back I saw the pack splinter, now it was every man for himself, finally we were on an even playing field. The long climb takes you to a high point then descends through some very fast and fun corners. I was racing now on pure adrenalin and came very close to loosing it on a couple of the fastest corners. I was riding way out of my league and well beyond my technical ability. Just maybe I could hang on to the end ? Passing through Wailuku town I was dizzy and disoriented, I had not stopped at any of the feed/aid stations and with only 2 bottles of fluid from the outset had been dry for some time. I had 2 near disastrous collisions with vehicles in town before settling in for the final 8km stretch downhill to the finish at Maalea Harbour. Looking back for what must have been the 100th time today I couldn’t see anyone on the horizon. What a sweet feeling!
I coasted the last 5km to the finish and enjoyed the best shower and barbecue on the beach. Does life get any better?
Aloha from Maui, Tony.
For those that are interested Tony organizes a triathlon training camp down in Hawaii every year. I hope to be down there helping out and taking part in some of the trainng next year. If you’re interested in joining the amazing camp check out the information here: www.trainingandracing.com/mauitrainingcamp Tell him I sent you!
Today i suffered though the Wolfville- Roubaix. I dont have time to post a report right now so check back later. In short I suffered on my 3rd ride of the year (first race), got flat while trying in vain to chase down the lead group, hit a massive pot hole bent my rim and got a flat, and have lots of work to do before i keep up with the big boys here. Let the season begin!
