I raced the Iron Horse Classic from Durango to Silverton yesterday. It gets harder every time I do it. It's the 40th anniversary of the race, and the organizers invited all of the past winners back with an entry into their category of choice. I raced in my category (45-54), but Ned Overend (at 55, he's 2 years older than me) still raced with the pros, and damned if he didn't win it again! He's now won it 5 times, plus 5 second and 5 third places. It's been 28 years since his first time winning the race and 19 years since his last time. And with 5 wins, he stays ahead of our dear friend Mara Abbott, who would have tied him, as she won her 4th (but she's the only one to win 4 straight).
I can't figure out if/how his win could be motivating for me. I found it disheartening when I wasn't yet to the top of the first pass (Coal Bank) when the clock was already past 2:10, the time it took me when I won it 31 years ago. I finished in 2:55 and felt disappointed to be 3/4 hour slower (1/4 hour slower per decade, on average) than I was in 1980, but then was encouraged by Durango-ites who were congratulatory of my having broken 3 hours. I used to chuckle at the thought of being beaten by the train (the race started as a bet between a cyclist and a brakeman on the narrow-gauge train about who could get to Silverton faster), but it does 3:30, so I'm not that far ahead of it anymore!
Alexi Grewal seems more human in his 50+ comeback, as he's going fast (top 20 in the pros) but nowhere near Ned, who never stopped racing.