'Twas a very tough day on the bike. Taking a digger before the first feed zone wasn't ideal, but I somehow managed to ride over 100 more miles on a sore knee and hip and still got within my 9 hour goal! The temperature range was extreme, and the parcours was the real deal. BWR, I think I love you.

Race #3

-Mid 40s at the start and low 80s at the finish

-Washout crash before the 1st feed zone. Scraped up the ole knee, thigh & hip pretty good. Definitely ruined my bib. Lost a bit of blood, but the injuries didn't affect my ride too much. Still managed to finish in my 8-9 hour goal time

-Ended up riding solo considerably more than I planned. It felt like every time I would get into a solid group pacelining, a feed zone would come up and obliterate the groupetto

-Found my new buddy Moe on the course a few times, which honestly was really mentally helpful. 

-Cramps started creeping in after 175km or so, but I ate a pickle and drank a big cup of pickle juice at the feed zone before the single track section and it brought me back to life.

-Speaking of that single-track section: impressively challenging, and not just because of its proximity to the end of the course. Rocky and technical and enjoyable for about the first km or so

-Kind of amazed BWR recommends 700x38-42 for this course. I would have liked to have been on my 47mm. Probably would have stayed on the bike. I felt like SBT GRVL's tire recommendation was pretty on-point, but BWR... maybe not as much. Perhaps that's just what the pros run?

-Chugged a coke at the final aid station and it made me feel like the Incredible Hulk. Cramps were essentially solved by then, and apparently blood glucose was exactly what I needed. Nobody passed me after that last aid station, and I *flew* into the finish area and did a bitchin' skid on the grass after the finish line

Overall, it was a good day on the bike, in spite of the crash.