After reading several of this year's CFC accounts, I thought I'd share with you my experiences with this year's CFC or Cold Flu Cometh. Mentally, I was there with you guys, climbing up those wonderful hills and experiencing the rush of the fast down hills. Unlike you, I was by myself in "This race.

Actually, I also did some climbing and experienced that rush… That is, climbing out of bed, straining to make it to the top of the stairs to go to the bathroom. Then I had the rush of lost fluids in said place. The best strategy to make it to the top is to keep a high cadence. You certainly don't want to dump it prior to that point! All day I kept hydrated for best performance to try to beat the Micro-Virus Flu racing team. It was racing thru my system over this eventful weekend. During the first day, I did long pulls up in front until I got worn out from that infamous climb. There were also a series of lesser climbs in which all of you are familiar. Take for example indigestion hill, headache ridge, weak-legs gorge and the infamous runandbarf climb. By the end of the first day, I was worn out but I think I saw some weakness in the MVF racing team. Their intensity was down thanks to the supplements I was using such as Advil, Aleve and Alka-Seltzer Plus, all over the counter stuff and legal.

The second day dawned bright as I had on my blue racing duds, boxer shorts and t –shirt. The intensity started out again right after breakfast, a longer, steep climb called Upchuck Steps. I almost didn't make it up this one but toughed it out. Remember, wheelmen never give up! Again, there was some sprinting to the "bathroom sign but I won those sprints against the weakening MVF team. They looked tried and not ready to go the distance in "This endurance sport. Lunch was better as I started to recover but one of the most toughest climbs was yet to come, Mylanta Hill. Picture this, a climb that is at a 45 degree grade of 20 steps and is very narrow.

As I was climbing again, I felt the muscular burning experienced with any steep grade. As I crested the climb, I looked back and saw the MVF team falter and weaken… they fell off the pace! Now I had them and they were mine. I struck with lightening speed using a cold medicine prescription my wife had gotten to me during the race. By the way, this had been ok'ed and approved by the doctors. From here on out, it was easier as I gapped them by quite a distance. There was no way I was getting caught again. The climbs now seemed shorter, easier and less frequent with very few MVF team members in sight. The ones I did see seem defeated, a shallow husk of a former adversary. I finished the day worn but standing up and happy the race was over.