Reverend pulling my ass around the Big Tree Loop
Today was one of those March days that reminded me of this race that used to go on in Columbus Junction, Iowa, many moons ago. It was the inaugural race of the Iowa season, and my Dad and I traveled up there several years in a row for the unbelievable suffer-fest that ensued--the peloton blasted apart by high winds into at least 3 or 4 echelons on a hilly course (for Iowa). As a somewhat runty and average junior racer, I was in one of those echelons for perhaps 10 minutes before getting thrown out onto the suffering line in the ditch, to becoming a lonely straggler.
Indeed, I think this was the same course that Tater once schooled the Cat. 4s for an Iowa State Championship, but that is a story for another day that only Tater can tell with authority.
The Columbia Jct. affair was a massed start race, national class Iowans at the time like Jeff Boldt, Chris Hayes were there and I think even Hajo showed up both years, just to indicate how brutal it was. Heck, I bet Fish might have been up there one of those years. And it was usually overcast and cold.
Although it was warmer today, the winds were the same high echelon quality. The group was heading out North, I just couldn't stomach the thought of battling the wind back home, call me a big baby. Reverend I headed South and kept it on the rivet and my legs, which are still evolving from very rough form, kind of seized near the end of an extended Big Tree/ride out to my in-laws house. I got over two hours on the bike, though, just what I wanted.
I recently found my medal for that race from 1991. ugh....
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