Cramping!

Raced the Westside Classic today. It is the provincial championships. I raced in the masters 30-39 category. So, the race is held right in Vancouver. We get FULL road closures! Full Grandstand and a big portion of the course is barracaded! It rocks! I have never done another race where you get 100% road closures. This includes SW Marine Drive, 16th Ave. The organizors give all their money to BC cancer. They raised over 120K for the cause. Big props to the Wedgewood cycling club! So, we race together with the 40,50,60,70 year olds. Yes I said 70! So next time you are thinking I can't do this or that, just remember that there are guys who are 70 trying to dangle with guys 40 years younger! I think the few 70 yr old guys got dropped, but two 60 year old guys hung tough to the end. It was like a 200 guy pack. That is big. There was one really hard section on the course, it was the climb up Camousen road. It is bigringable, and it takes about 3 minutes bottom to top. It went well. I rode strong for 6 of 8. on the 6th time up I cramped a bit and was hurting. Did I mention that it was 22 degrees at 7:30am when we started and 28 when we finished. I was drinking a fair bit. Anyway, the group was windleing. I got over the top towards the back but was concerned. On the next lap up I cramped my calf and quads. Ouch. It is getting really thin now and I missed the bus going over the top by abut 6 feet. I chased on the downhill, but the support cars came around me. Way too soon. I basically chased, and chased, knowing that it would ease up. Then someone crashed. I managed to get back on. Last time up I decieded all or nothing and went to the big ring and hammered over the top. It was soooo fast. I was dying. I hurting like a Biotch the whole time. We rolled over the top and I was in the hurt locker, but hung tough, then on the last corner before the start finish straight that was it. I and about 15 others missed the boat for the final sprint. It split and I could not shut down the gap. There are a few small rises and just road it in and watched the other guys sprinting. I was happy with it. Awesome race to do!
What else? someone told me tht they thought that Wille Mitchell of the Canucks was a head hunter for a questionable hit, so I wonder if they would be so liberal with Pronger? What an idiot. That was dirty. Not only dirty, but dirty with intent. that guy may be the best player on his team, but not in the press box he is not.
May be going back to the mother land, no not winnipeg ( that is later in the year), but to the Mrs homeland, Croatia.
Lot of talk about the Test of Metal at the race today. Not a lot of it positive. Todays race brings in a big amount of money and gives it all away. People are starting to think that the TOM organizers need to give some cash money back to the cause, not just volunteers doing trail maint. Not sure I agree. Some people think that given it's size that maybe you need to have time to qualify, sort of like the Boston Marathon. I think people hate the sign up process. It could use some work.
Okay, I have to go look for flights! 3 months to cross!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!