Monday, May 15, 2006

Brain Flat: One Racer's Experience at Berkeley Hills

From our correspondent

San Pablo Reservoir, CA -- It can happen to almost anyone. The symptoms seem all too familiar.

"It started with an increased exertion level with no increased speed," says Katie Kelly after her experience at the Berkeley Hills Road Race last Sunday.

"There were four of us in a chase group. I was giving it all I had," she said. "A girl pulled off, saying she had a flat tire."

It was then that Kelly's symptoms began to take effect.

"I felt it at the bottom of Mama Bear," the first of three climbs in this gruelling road race. "It was becoming more difficult to pedal. The other two were pulling away from me."

Kelly gallantly continued pedaling to the top of Mama Bear, "where I knew I could stop safetly", she said. It was then, however, Kelly's worst fears of her life were confirmed. This was, in fact, not a flat tire at all but, as Kelly calls it, "A flat BRAIN!"

In fact, the tire was pumped to its suggested PSI of 116.

Kelly took a quick glimpse around her and noticed that least there was no one to witness this charade, and promptly started pedaling again, hoping for her second wind, or even a large gust of wind, to help bring her to the finish line.

Kelly eventually finished in the top twenty, not too far behind her teammate Paula Bock who finished 12th, but far enough.

Kelly later complained to her coach, saying, "I am not sure if I'm the climber I thought I was."

"Well," said her coach, "Berkeley Hills really isn't a climber's course."

This has only added to Kelly's depression as she is wondering what those three hills were. Short sprints?

Kelly urges other to play close attention to the symptoms of a Flat Brain. A few symptoms include:

Stale, tired legs.
A lack of power.
An inability to increase your effort, no matter how much you will yourself into it.
Depression, thoughts of turning around.
Questioning your own reason for living.

Kelly urges all bearers of these symptoms to just keep on pedaling and whatever you do, do not vocalize that you have a flat tire unless you can prove it with hard facts.

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