The Gateway Cup ended on Labor Day with the Benton Park Classic. It was an afternoon event for me, so Shannon and I took advantage of the time and cooler temps to get in a longer ride on the greenway. We did a big loop that turned out the be an even bigger loop than expected. A 22-mile ride that was expected to take an hour and half, turned into 27 miles in over 2 hours, thanks to wind and poor markings on one of the trails we were on. Most of the trails have great pavement, but one we got on was mostly gravel and old, broken pea-gravel pavement. I liked the trail, but it was missing signage and we missed the turn for the trail we were supposed to take back to the trailhead. Instead, we found ourselves at a dead end in the middle of a corn field and had to call Amber to get directions back to where we were supposed to be.
Interesting sign at the hotel pool. Read #7.
On the greenway with Shannon
One of the shady sections of the greenway
Nevertheless, it was a great ride with Shannon. I used a little more leg than I had hoped to, but I really didn't care. Benton Park is not my favorite race. It's tough and usually gets more than half of the field dropped early in the race. I didn't expect to do much here. The longest I have ever held onto the group here is 25 minutes and only 40 minutes before getting pulled.
The Benton Park race is 75 minutes for the Pro/1/2 event. It's a big course, almost like two crit. courses in one. The loop has a gradual climb from the start/finish to turn 1. After turn 2 there is a windy section as you cross a bridge over I-55 to the famous Anheuser-Busch factory. A left turn leads to another climb in front of the factory, often straight into a headwind, before another crosswind hits you as you cross back over I-55. Then you get a bit of respite...at least if the group allows you. The course flattens out, but there are several tight turns that give plenty of opportunities for the pack to get strung out and make you sprint over and over to hold the wheel ahead of you. There's a slight downhill through the last two turns before you hit the home stretch and begin climbing again just before the start/finish line.
Benton park course map. Course goes counter-clockwise.
Leading break in the Pro Women's race
The chasing pack
My goal was to make it longer than my previous best, both in the group and before getting pulled. It was windy as heck today, so you knew the group would splinter to pieces very soon after the start. I was not as quick to get to the line today and found myself just two rows from the back of the 113-rider field. The start was crazy fast for the first half-lap. Gaps were already starting to form as we crossed I-55 the second time. Then suddenly there was a slowing up front. I took advantage to move up. Several other riders did the same. Next thing we know the official is yelling at us for moving up. We had no idea what was going on. Apparently, they had neutralized us. Ooops. guess they should have told somebody other than the front row. At first we did not know why we were neutralized, then when we got to the last turn, there was an EMT sitting in the middle of the course on a Gator. Why he was there I do not know. There were no riders down, no spectators with issues. There was no obvious reason for him to be camped out in the middle of the course. Even being neutral we still almost crashed. That's a lot of riders to squeeze by a Gator on an already tight course.
We were kept neutral for lap 2, then they let us go as we came by the start/finish. The neutral was good for me. The clock was ticking the whole time and I was getting closer to my goal. The pace went right back to wide open on lap 3. I was ok holding onto the group up the hills, but the exits of the corners were very hard. Then we came up the hill at the start/finish rolling 33.4 mph for three laps in a row. Gaps were everywhere by that third time by. I did my best to close them, but found myself off the back after five laps of racing. I never looked at the time, I just put my head down and kept hammering. I'm guessing I made about 30 minutes before getting dropped.
Race director Mike Weiss in hurt mode during the Pro/1/2 event
I got into a group of chasers and we plugged away for a few more laps before getting pulled at the 42-minute point. I finished 84th with a 24.5 mph average speed. It was another tough day of racing at Benton Park, but I am happy with it. It was the longest I have stayed with the group and in the race. And it wasn't me that let the gap go. I just have to move up farther to get ahead of those gaps.
The break that got away
There was a big chase from the field, but it was a little too late to catch the break.
Benton Park Classic video is posted below.
Video: Benton Park Classic
The week after Gateway was miserable. I got a sinus infection and fought hard to keep it out of my chest. I had no voice on Friday night when we went to watch the Clarksville High School vs. Rossview High School football game in Clarksville. I've worked with three of the CHS players and one from Rossview. it was cool to see them in action instead of just training or doing rehab n the clinic.
Friday night football at CHS
By the weekend, I was getting better, but not good enough to go race the local NashVegas Triathlon. Instead, my Dad and I got up before dawn and rode our bikes down to Ashland City to be spectators. We rode the first 30 minutes with our lights on and then navigated the foggy roads near the Cumberland River in the dim light to get to the race before the start. Like in 2011 when I raced this triathlon, the fog was too thick at the designated start time and the start was delayed. And delayed. And delayed again. They finally started well over an hour after the scheduled start time.
A foggy transition area
The view into the river at the scheduled start time. Yeah, you can't see anything.
We watched the swim start for the Half Ironman group, then hit the road on our bikes in order to make it over to the course's first big hill to do a little heckling. We watched the Half Ironman and Olympic distances come up the hill. The course was out-and-back so we saw a few of them coming back down as well.
Swim about to start for the Half Ironman group. Still foggy.
And they're off...and I still can't see them...
Lead Half rider coming up the climb on Chapmansboro Rd.
2nd rider up the hill
He's showing way too much skin and is WAY too excited about it.
Lots of riders on the climb
We rode back towards the transition area as the Sprint distance racers hit the bike course. With the late start, the gaps between distances was not as big as planned. It got a bit tight on course as there were a lot of racers on the bike course at the same time. Jeremy Nagoshiner lit up the bike segment, breaking every Strava record on course and ending the 40 km course in 1:01:05 with a 24.35 mph average speed! Great job Nago!
Youngin's on course
We saw bikes on all types in this race
One rider stopped to look at his pedal that was locking up. No fixing that one buddy.
It was a steady stream of riders coming by.
In typical Cheatham County style, a tractor came by in the middle of the race blocking up the course.
Our family friend, Lee Binkley, in his first tri
Here's a video from the Bike segment of the race.
Video: Bike segment at the Nashvegas Triathlon
I also went to the run turnaround for the Sprint racers. The run was also out-and-back, so I got to see all distances coming by me. I watched for a while, then rode back home, following the bike course and then adding in a few extra hills. My rear wheel was damaged from when I got hit from behind in the crash at Tour de Lafayette. It had gotten rather wobbly by the end of Gateway Cup, but a quick trip to the shop had straightened it out. This ride was my first ride back on it. The rim is damaged worse than we thought and quickly started to wobble again. I had to loosen my brakes by the end of the 65-mile ride as the wheel was wobbling all over the place. Good thing I just bought a new race set for next year. I'm keeping those a secret for now. :)
Sam Miller (Swiftwick) on his way to a podium in the Olympic distance event
A young lady making the run turnaround
Lee halfway through the run
Later that night after the triathlon, Shannon and I went with my parents and Dina to the Tennessee State Fair in Nashville. We have not been in many years. We didn't really go for the fair. We went for the races at the Fairgrounds Speedway. A ticket to the State Fair also got you into the race track. It was a fun night of watching racing under the lights on one of the best short tracks in the country. Between the smokers all around us and the engine exhaust from the race cars, my sinus issue flared up again, this time coming back three times as strong as before.
A mule at the fair
There was quite the selection of ugly chickens in the fair. See below...
Giant watermelon
Two huge pumpkins. The winner was 524.0 lbs!
The first race about to start.
Racing action on the small track.
Here'a a little video of the racing action:
Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville racing action
I felt funky for the next week and ended up skipping the 12 Hours of the Canal Loop. I had worked hard to get my old Titus Racer-X ready for that race. I knew I would need a full-suspension to survive 12 hours of racing on the Canal Loop, so I put new brakes and new shifters on it. It's had wounded brakes on it for a few years now, so the upgrade has been long overdue.
Missing the race wasn't fun, but it allowed me to get healed up before our trip to Utah in late September. More on that coming soon...
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