I started off this year in better shape than normal for February. Missed 4 weeks due to the flu, had 2 weeks to train for a half marathon and 2 weeks after the half, to train for Camino. My weight is down back to where I like it. I'm starting to feel like I can do anything on the bike again.
My plan was to stay with Joel Sothern. He's won Camino the last 2 years and set the course record last year. I won it 3 years ago. Our group started at 6:15am and immediately some people took off and started running red lights. I didn't worry too much about it, because I knew we still had a lot of fire power in the pack. As we turned left on Jamboree, Joel took the lead up the climb and I quickly got on Rick Anderson's wheel as he kept the gap close. We made the light for the left hand turn going up San Joaquin Hills and never saw the pack again. We caught 2 of the 3 riders who took off running the red lights. I asked one of the guys, "who's still up ahead?" and he said it was a Furnace Creek (508) guy. We stayed together and eventually caught the Furnace Creek guy around the 27 mile mark (Aliso Creek Rd). I noticed this Furnace Creek guy was strong and taking long pulls. I asked Joel who he was and he told me he is Sean Cuddihy, the 2012 Furnace Creek 508 Champion. We pretty much worked together except the fifth member of our pack. He was wearing a Bahati jersey and didn't pull at all. I knew this guy was in over his head and would be dislodged as soon as we hit a tough climb. All 5 of us came into the lunch stop at mile 87 and there was no lunch. Planet Ultra was not set-up for us, but Frank Neal was there with some Heed and water. As I return from the restroom, Joel asks me if I'm ready to go and says two guys already left. Planet Ultra is finally there but I'm not going to eat now with everybody leaving. We start climbing a decent hill right after lunch, as I pass Rick, I tell him this is a long climb. I have to back off on this climb because my bottom bracket is grinding really bad. Sean and Joel end up putting 20-30 seconds on me over the top. I'm in 3rd place and don't expect to pull back these guys at all. I make it to the 135 mile mark and they tell me I'm 5 minutes behind 2 riders. Next stop at 168 miles, they tell me I'm 15 minutes back. I tell the guys at the station to tell whoever is behind me to hurry up because I'm tired of riding alone. As I'm 5 miles from the finish, Joel and Sean pull up and Joel says "your prayers have been answered." They tell me they went off course and added 12 miles to their route. Now I'm thinking, who are the two riders in front of me. We make it to the finish and they tell us we are 1st place. Next to come in are Marc and Lou. They unknowingly took a wrong turn on the way back and ended up ahead of me. They added an additional 6 miles to their route before the finish to correct the error.
1st place tie
Sean Cuddihy
Joel Sothern
Rod Palomino
http://www.strava.com/activities/113573992
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