Valley First Granfondo Axel Merckx Okanagan 2013

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Valley First Granfondo Axel Merckx Okanagan 2013 - Cycle


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Penticton, British Columbia
Canada
Valley First Granfondo Axel Merckx
24C / 75F
Overcast
 		Total Time = 3h 33m 41s
Overall Rank = 595/958
Age Group = M60-64
Age Group Rank = 59/104
Pre-race routine:

Woke up early and had breakfast then rode my bike down to the race start.
Event warmup:

No warm up. I just waited for the 7:00am start. Chatted with a few other riders.
Bike
  • 3h 33m 41s
  • 92 kms
  • 25.83 km/hr
Comments:

I had a great ride. I felt strong for the whole ride and realize now I should have ridden the whole Granfondo 160km route.

I just kept riding hard and playing leap frog with quite a few other riders. About half way through the ride I connected with a young lady riding a very similar pace and we rode down Main St. in Penticton together.
Later we lost each other for awhile but as I was climbing the last major hill out of Okanagan Falls we hooked up again and we played leap frog all the way down the Kaleden hill heading back to Penticton.
The ride down the hill was fast but into a strong headwind so we couldn't ride as fast as we wanted. It was still an exhilarating ride and view.
As I returned to Penticton and rode around to Main St heading north to the finish line I was riding as fast as I could and having a great time passing lots of people but getting passed a bit as well.
As I headed north the finish line came into view and I pedaled faster then I was at the finish line and at the dismount line I was able to comfortably get off the bike without any trepidation.
My cycling lady finished with me and we high-fived each other plus a few other people we had played leap frog with then I took my bike over to the bike lot so I could partake in the post race activities.

What would you do differently?:

Ride faster and ride more hills.
Post race
Warm down:

I went to the beer tent and got my free beer. Nice and cold. Then I got my chicken burger and after I got some chips, cookies and watermelon. I really would have loved an ice cold chocolate milk.

I wandered around and chatted with a few friends and finally found my wife working as a volunteer. Shamefully, no one had seen to their getting some kind of food for lunch so I went and got a few items from the athletes food tent to take over to a few of the volunteers.

What limited your ability to perform faster:

My own physical limitations. I just need to work on becoming a stronger rider and getting my cadence up.

Event comments:

I loved this race. I only rode the Mediofondo distance but the Granfondo distance would be a great ride as well.
I highly recommend the race and Penticton as a destination - although I do live here so I may be a bit prejudiced.




Last updated: 2013-09-10 12:00 AM
Biking
03:33:41 | 92 kms | 25.83 km/hr
Age Group: 59/104
Overall: 595/958
Performance: Good
Wind: Some
Course: A long loop from Penticton out to Summerland then returning to Penticton and heading south around Skaha Lake to Okanagan Falls and back to Penticton. With about 700m of vertical climbing on 4 main hills.
Road: Smooth Dry Cadence: 69
Turns: Good Cornering: Good
Gear changes: Good Hills: Good
Race pace: Comfortable Drinks: Just right
Post race
Weight change: %
Overall: Good
Mental exertion [1-5] 4
Physical exertion [1-5] 4
Good race? Yes
Evaluation
Course challenge Just right
Organized? Yes
Events on-time? Yes
Lots of volunteers? Yes
Plenty of drinks? Yes
Post race activities: Good
Race evaluation [1-5] 5

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2013-09-10 10:17 PM

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Subject: Valley First Granfondo Axel Merckx Okanagan 2013
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