Day 1 of my first-ever stage race started up the switchbacks from Carter Park (the final descent of the Firecracker 50). We got Boulder's storm. Rained hard throughout the day. I had a 3:32 start and it had just started to subside at the base, so I threw Drew's Vaude jacket into the jersey pocket (but it came in really handy, Drew, on the chilly, low 40's road descent). Everything was going pretty well until that long, straight, uphill slog. I started getting that "feeling". Oh crap, am I really going to hurl? Got off my bike, walked a bit, then saw Mike Mac, who said, "Hey, we cut the course short due to really bad weather above us. You've got 1/8 of a mile of flat and you're done." Couldn't have come at a better time! Hopefully, I've blown out the carburetor, and my altitude sickness is behind me... I finished 4th, and I think about a minute back from 3rd.
Tomorrow is supposed to be about 44 miles and 5k of climbing. It starts out w/a police escort neutral start on road, then some more road section to thin everbody out.
It's 9pm and we just got back from dinner. We were required to listen through a pretty long-winded discussion of Breck Epic philosophy, history of the trails, an almost turn by turn description of tomorrow's course, etc. There was a fairly spirited discussion about whether people should be allowed to accept hand-ups at any point of the course. The crowd voted that down. Also voted down was a requirement to carry first aid kit and survival blanket, opting instead for placing it at the aid station of your choice. Let's hope the serious crashes occur close to the aid stations! Not sure about the wisdom of that choice.... Well, have to go prepare for tomorrow. Good night all.
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