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Swan: Still the National Champion

A week or so ago I was in Tallahassee, Florida, at the Masters Nationals, where I went to defend my title in the 40K Individual Time Trial. The trip was successful, and I am the champion for another 12 months. My time was 52:58, one of my fastest times ever. I am pleased and relieved; however, it was not an easy win.

 The truth is, there are lots of guys whose plans don’t feature me on top, guys who are very fast riders and have what it takes to win. For me, there are nagging injuries; the balance between work and family and riding; and the matter of how fat and out of form I get over the winter. I view all those things, in some way, as variables that affect whether I am ready on race day.

 When I got to the starting line, all I knew was that I was pretty fit, and that I needed to just do the best I could, and then I’d be ready to accept whatever place that was worth. I rode very hard.

 I kept a steady high pulse rate, I constantly evaluated whether I was in the best gear for that moment, and I made deals with myself to keep it together in the last few miles when the heat and dehydration were toughest. That’s all you can do. You don’t think about winning until it’s all over. And when the time comes and your time is the fastest, there is a great sense of relief.

 One of the best statements I have ever heard, that puts the value of a National Cycling Championship in real-world perspective, came from my triathalon teammate, Lee Willard, who has won several titles in canoeing. He said, " A National Championship and a dollar will get you a cup of coffee."

Down and back. Part of the trip was doing road races in West Virginia on the way down to Florida and again on the way back. Dey got big hills in dat part of de country! The race we did on the way down nearly snuffed our chances at Natz, since we almost didn’t have time to recover. There were supposed to be three climbs in 56 miles. There were three climbs all right—
 four- to five-miles long, with switch-backs going on forever. They didn’t even count the "bumps" that were as big as Ringwood Road climbs! I made the mistake of bridging up to a small break-away and then having to savage myself to keep it away from the chasers for the final 20 miles. I got nipped in the sprint, but earned good gas money for second place. On the way home we did the WV State Road Championships. That race was longer, but not as hilly. The field was again incredibly strong (Cat 1-2-3 racers) and my teammate and I found ourselves chasing madly to get back on after the first few hills. Steve got himself gapped after a fast zigzag with gravel, and I didn’t dare corner as fast as the locals on some of the switchback descents, and had to motor to catch back on the flats. Finally, I was toasted and chawed off a big hunk of Clif Bar in hopes of recovering a little before the next anticipated climb. Much to my surprise, we came out of the trees and around a corner and there was the finish line, 150 mets ahead! Ooops! Since I couldn’t sprint with my mouth stuffed, I coasted in and let my three break-away companions fight for the finish. Me and my big mouth. Fourth isn’t bad, though. Not for an old guy.

— Glenn Swan, 277-0495

 FLCC VP, Mountain Biking