Got a serious butt-whooping tonight and liked it.

So you can dish it out, but can you hack it too? I was invited to do the 2-man Spin Time Trial called the Two headed beast on the very bumpy and windy Marginal tonight. Thanks Thom for inviting me again.

The format I THINK was an internal battle between Spin's Multisport guys and the Roadies. A 2-man TT with mostly random (and two dream teams, one multisport, one roadies) pairings which I thought sounded like fun.

I was paired with young track racer and road racer Mitch Gable. He showed up in skinsuit, aero helmet and bars. I was on my trusty Dale with no aero stuff, except my wheels. I only bring that Minor point up so that I have an excuse...read-on please.

We took off and the last thing I said was catch everyone we can see!! Very mistakingly thinking i would push the pace tonight I asked Mitch to take us out at whatever pace he felt comfortable with. The course ran along North marginal going east to 55th do a U-turn and back to 9th street and do another U-turn. Two 5 mile laps.

Well if youd say I couldnt even stay on Mitch's wheel, maybe pulled once or twice in the first 2.5 miles to the first turnaround and averaged 5.4 w/kg (349 watts) is me being the stronger youd be very mistaken. Mitch (and I following him) averaged 23.8 on the headwind out leg and with the tailwind I was able to finally take some 30 to 32mph pulls and we averaged 27.3 on the way back for lap1.

Lap2 on the way out Mitch again pulled most of the way and had to slow down for me!! Ouch, thats brutal on the pride, but he rode awesome and I was his team mate tonight so who's complaining. On the way back in I took my one or two pulls then faded and again Mitch had to tow me home yelling encouragemenmts like "are you ready-we got to hammer it home now", "Lets go, were running on adrenaline now". I was like "hammer it home with what?? I am done, toast, Finito!!"

Man, you got to know how badly I was hurting and he was again slowing down to not leave me behind. We did pass a few teams and we finished strong averaging 28.3 on the way in the last time and 29.4 the last mile or so and sprinting to the line. I definitely left it all on the Marginal.

Results? We won by a tenth of a mph and thats a win I think for the roadies (and trackies?)!! I am thinking to myself man I wish I brought my TT bike and helmet, but it wouldnt have changed the fact of how strong Mitch rode-Great job and yes, I can hack it! It hurt, but I took it and am glad for it.

Thanks Spin!!