By Amanda Eaken -- Mt Hood Classic - Prologue (W1/2) -- 05/13/08
Happy Minties eating dinner on Day 1.
After picking up Jen in Berkeley and Jane at the Safeway in Vacaville, we were ready to hit the road: 10 hrs of I-5 goodness in Ella coming our way. Oh yeah.
Highlights included:
-Jane and Amanda practicing our pit crew skills by trying to fill up all of Ella's tires to the max recommended tire pressure in one round of quarters.
-"Racing" our friend Yukie up the highway
-The gorgeous Oregon landscape
Around 8:30 we showed up just in time to grab dinner at a local pub with Molly and Rob.
We spent Monday settling into our lovely little condo "Kiteview"-- thanks to Jen for finding us this relaxing spot in Hood River. After a little recon of the downtown, including a taste of the colorful clientele at Mother's Market, the local vegan grocery store, Jen and I took off for a spin up the Cooper Spur Circuit Race.
A little pre race dinner with our new guest rider Gaby and DS extraordinare husband Rene and a little Giro watching and it was time to hit the sack to rest up for our prologue - this was to be the shortest race any of us had ever done - 1.7 miles on a dead flat course out and back. Rob estimated it would take between 3 and 4 minutes.
We woke up to signs of rain, packed up the car and headed into downtown Portland. So it turns out prologue Time Trials are REALLY FUN! Down the start ramp and you are off, pedal as hard as you can for maybe a minute and a half, try not to wipe yourself out around the rainy slick 180 and then hit it as hard as you can on the way back. I think we all thought this was a very cool event.
Molly was our top finisher at 19th place, with Jane right behind at 22nd. With a winning time of 3.08, seconds separated all of the rest of the finishers. Jen is now contemplating actually investing in a time trial bike!
Rob and Rene were extremely helpful setting up disc wheels and trainers and we all had a fun day, headed back to Hood River, and legs are up getting ready for tomorrow's hilly crit in downtown Portland.
Have to mention the thrill of racing against Jeannie Longo - the most decorated racer in all of women's cycling.