San Luis Obispo Road Race - July 4, 2009

By James Morehouse

A pretty surreal two days. Seven and a half hours to get to SLO Friday. Checked into a Motel 6 at three times what it cost me in Bakersfield last June. Noisy people most of the night, then up early into chilly, low clouds typical of California coastal areas in the early summer. Sixty one degrees. Not anything close to the 106 I suffered in Arizona only on Tuesday down in Apache Junction. I had to get through the military check point. Having USAA insurance (thanks to my ex-wife's ex-husband's stint in the Air Force during the Vietnam era) made it easy to slip by. The race started late and I saw that Glen Baldwin, a former Paramount rider was in the line next to me. He’s living in Central California now. The race was appallingly slow the first two laps. The climb was not much of one, stairstepping up with 8% kickers in the “worst” spots, but probably more like an average of 5% for about a mile or so. The descent was a kick in the pants. After the Bakersfield descent, this was not an issue, but the holes in the road, the depressed asphalt, cattle guards, and a couple of tight turns with sand and dirt in the corners made it exciting. Mid way through the race the sun burned through and a rider got free and everyone sat there not wanting to hurt enough to go chase him. He was a 55+, so I (foolishly) let him go. Instead, I concentrated on leading up the hill and shaking guys off the back. On the last lap I cut the number of people left down to five, but there were three out there now, all in the 55+ group. Only Bruce Steele and myself were left in the 60+. As I was unsure of sprinting against him, I took a flyer too far from the finish and ended up getting caught, and Bruce got by me anyway. So Bruce (California Criterium Champion for 2009) beat me for first. I got second, and 8th overall. Bruce was 5th overall. Then I drove 420 miles back home. Here I am, and I am still reeling from the driving, the experience, and I'm home, and WTF just happened?

Camp San Luis Road Race (Rank 2.0)
Masters 60+
Place
License
Name
Team
SoCal Points
1
236498
Bruce Steele
South Bay Wheelmen
28
2
283640
James Morehouse
Paramount Racing
22
3
8283
Michael Crystal
CA Pools Racing
20
4
204901
Steve Close
Team Chicken Ranch
18
5
45047
Glenn Baldwin
SLO Nexus-Gym One
16
6
271696
Bruce Coffey
SJBC/SugarCRM
14
7
286467
JAN VALENCIA
Velo Club Monterey Racing
12
8
280958
John Adams
G S Adams Avenue Bicycles
10
9
45342
Domenick Forte
PAA / RE/MAX
8
10
115793
Jim Roebuck
Southern California Velo
6
10

Camp San Luis Road Race (Rank 2.0)
Masters 55+
Place
License
Name
Team
SoCal Points
1
47819
Karl Weber
CA Pools Racing
28
2
61353
Reed Moore
UC Cyclery/JW Flooring
22
3
187845
Henry Pfister
Simply Fit/Action Sports
20
4
72880
Mike Marotta
Simply Fit/Action Sports
18
5
108843
Eric Nelson
SLO Nexus-Gym One
16
6
45928
David Shackle
Central Coast Velo
14
7
196820
George Chester
Amgen Cycling Club
12
8
48240
Lawrence Brooks
Unattached
10
9
269972
Fred Haim
Kahala LaGrange
8
10
46135
Frederick Proudman
Taleo Racing
6