Mount Diablo Bike Race

The Mount Diablo Challenge-bike race happens on the first weekend of October every year. I'd never done a bike race, and though it was very difficult I'd highly recommended to anyone who likes to ride.It is "just" a 10.8 mile up hill time trial, with 1000 of your closest friends. The big goal is to try and finish in under 1 hour--you get a "special" shirt if you do.
Got to say, this was pure hell. One hour of suffering! The last several hundred feet are a 17% climb; at that point I wanted to get off and quit even though only seconds remained. The picture is taken right at the top of that climb which is the finish line. Amazingly, some guy blasted past in the last 5 yards. How any one can reach down and go that much harder is beyond me. Good news is I beat my arch-rival, my buddy Larry (see previous entry)Twain: 59:19, 92nd overall, 30th age groupLarry Norris: 1:02:04, 150th overal, 62nd age group I was lucky enough to break 1 hour (and get that t-shirt!).