Willamette Road Race: Stage 1

It's been five hours since the end of the race and I'm still warming up. We rolled through beautiful scenery southwest of Corvallis, ultimately ending on a three mile climb that covered a thousand vertical feet over about eight miles. That, however, wasn't the big story. We saw wind, cold, rain, sleet, and even a bit of hail during the two hour ride that left both feet and hands numb. It was brutal, sapping everyone's energy as we tried to ride down the road while our bodies wanted to spend energy warming up. Near the end of the race, for about two miles, I couldn't shift gears with my right hand because I couldn't feel my fingers. The results aren't online yet, but I'm guessing I finished eighth, about two minutes behind the leader. I've been hydrating and resting the rest of the day, getting ready for tomorrow's criterium stage. Tired now. Goodnight.