Cyko Masters Championships Phelan, CA - June 25, 2000

At the time of the start of the 16 mile race the wind was just starting to blow but here it was expected. Right away Dana Eads and Dana Bergman started playing their strategy on me. I would get behind one and the other would pass us both and take off. I would have to go around and catch up to the break and then he would slow down and the other would come flying past us both and it would start all over again. With only me on the team there was little I could do against this so I tried to just stay behind the two but Dana E. would almost come to a stop to prevent me from getting behind him to draft. I eventually just let them go and do their thing and try to keep third place in sight. They were off into the distance in no time and I was out alone. The wind had been picking up speed and was really adding to the difficulty of the race. That and the heat and altitude and whatever other excuse I can think of was really beating me up so I was hoping that a strong skater behind would hurry up and catch me for some mid race teamwork. He caught me and we worked the race at a good pace but the wind was still getting stronger.

On lap 8 1/2 I thought I should try for a break and go for third place. On the back side of the track with the strong tail wind and slight downhill I went out for a sprint. I got some distance but as I came around into the wind and slight uphill I felt like I was crawling along. This was the most difficult stretch of the race and it is also the home stretch on the final lap. I was going hard and making it hurt but I was hardly moving. I had kept my lead through that part but still had a whole lap to go and I felt like I had used everything I had on that one stretch Some how I kept rolling and was able to finish with a small lead over the 4th place winner.

A while later we all lined up for the 4.2 mile race. The wind had turned into a storm and clouds had been blown in almost instantly. My lungs were still hurting and there were some fresh skaters there who didn't do the first race so I was thinking that this will be painful. At the last minute I was offered a chance to play with a digital video camera and was given permission to skate the race with it. I thought that this could be more fun than coughing up a lung in the short race so I was the "skate-cam-man".

As the race started I was doing alright getting all of the action and catching a glimpse of the lead pack and everyone else. I soon found out that I couldn't keep up while looking through a viewfinder so I pulled over and got some good action shots of the racers doing their thing. after just about all of the racers had finished the race I skated back to the start line and dropped off the camera. I was told that if I didn't want a "DNF" that I should skate a lap. So off I went on my token lap but I found that I was not alone out there, Audrey has become a little overheated and had stalled her engine on the back part of the lap. A "Rapidos" skater, whose name I have forgotten, and I got her going again and safely to the finish. I was given a token 3rd place for the age group but there was only 3 in that group. Still a fun race to get on video.