Mulholland Challenge 112 miles, 12,000 ft elevation

Holy shit, just got the results for this. Two years ago we rode the double century and it was the maiden voyage of the Seven. Last year we rode the entire King of the Mountains series of centuries and had done pretty well. We were amped for this.
Friday night Jack raced the downtown alley-cat criterium and won $187, but it cost him his legs for this. We rode as a group for a bit, then this kid John dropped us and ended up second overall. Brian (Davidson) and I split up after Decker Canyon and I rode the rest of the course alone. Two weeks ago I went out and rode it alone from home, 125 miles in 9 hours, so I knew what I was in for. The start is staggered, and they ask the sub-8 riders to start last, which means you spend the day passing people. It makes you feel faster than you really are. Did my best to stay focused, which is difficult with so much climbing. When I got to the top of Stunt Road, I was not coherent enough to talk to the people at the checkpoint. Brutal. It's a tough love. This course is so beautiful; it's why I love southern California. I don't have any pics from the ride, but since it is the two-year anniversary of the Seven, here's a pic my friend Kelly took for an upcoming book.
This weekend is my first real road race, a 3-stage, 2-day race called Conquer the Canyons.