Big Ring Classic Recap

This race always makes me ask the question, "If you don't have a big ring is it still the Big Ring Classic?"  I guess I just big ring it all the time?  I wasn't really sure what was going to happen this race.  I know I always say that but, I was very tired going into last weekend.  It was the end of my 2nd build month and I had been on the road.  I also rode pretty hard at Rhinelander on Wednesday and Wausau on Thursday.  So on Friday I said Eff it and just took Friday and Saturday off.  I also got at least 12 hours of sleep on Saturday.  Along with plenty of Chocolate cake from wonderful Wifes B-day.  We had an awesome weekend up north at the cabin, then made the drive down to wausau.  I signed up for the races and then warmed up 15 minutes.  I then went and supported my girls in the kids race.  It was my oldest's 4th race and my yougest's first.  They both semed to have fun and got their stickers and medals.  Then it was time for my race.  I spent my time during the introductions warming up on the kids race track and wishing I could just do their race.  Then I was lucky enough to get a call up and I lined up right next to Dan Wierzba who is leading my age group.  Don said go and I hit it really hard.  I must have really went hard because I settled in on Dans wheel and had to back it off.  I felt pretty good and let Dan lead through the first couple of corners, I honestly wasn't even sure which way the lead out went.  Dan looked a little uncomfortable with the pace and when some other guys started to pass us I went with them.  I was third or fourth into the singletrack and was right with the leaders on the start up the gravel climb.  Around this time I reached down for my bottle and realized it was gone, oh eff I am screwed it was hot.  Almost at the same time I see #18 Ben Senkerik walking down the trail with a broken bike.  I shouted out got an extra bottle and he hands one over.  What a classy move I looked around for him after the race but, couldn't find him to say thanks.  So back to the race.  The top 8 or 10 guys set a brutal pace up the gravel climb and I slid backwards.  I thought uh oh thinking this was how the race was going to go.  But, I just kept up as hard a pace as I could and kept everyone in sight.  I rode up the big Hill by Ho chi Minh with #1904 Sam Weinberg on a single speed.  It was good thing he was on a single speed because he would have destroyed me on a geared bike.  On the gravel climb on the back end of the course I ended up passing most of those guys and never looked back.  It was kind of nice being out front not dealing with too much lap traffic.  Sam and I ended up battling back and forth for most of the rest of the race.  I put in a big attack on the long downhill and got a decent gap on him which he got back by the end of the singletrack.  I still managed to enter the last lap by myself.  I was starting to fall apart by that point and I got passed by a few people.  I ended up racing next to someone at the end but, they didn't want to contest the finish so I ended up with eight overall and second in age.   My best result ever,  I guess I shouldn't be suprised I tend to do well at wausau.   Thanks to my Bike hub/Specialized team mates for the handups, couldn't have done it without em.  So now I am not sure what I am doing next? I might not do another WORs race until Kewauskum. Maybe some TOAD? Maybe somebody will talk me into something? See ya Outside...