Originally Posted by
sarals
This is the Racing Thread, right? With that question out there, I'd really hate to post a "race report". I wouldn't couch what I did yesterday as "racing". Here's another question. Did anyone here actually expect me to do very well on my first attempt? Well, I didn't disappoint. I did very poorly. In fact, because I was up against a commitment that I stupidly agreed to last week, I had to abandon the race with lap left to go because I would have missed the commitment. It didn't matter, the front of the field (two riders) had already lapped me. The good part was they had "just" lapped me. I feel like anything I say would be tantamount to an excuse, at least I think so. I have a long way to go before I can really "race", I'm so far off the hunt that it's silly.
So, should I bother writing about my embarrassment yesterday?
I, for one, would have been shocked... happily shocked... but shocked nonetheless... if you made it through your first race, a tough race with a climb each lap, and weren't lapped. Never would have said that up front, because there is such a mental aspect to what we do, but I can say it now. The fact that you pushed being lapped back a lot is a triumph. Just getting out there was a major accomplishment.
To put things into perspective, in Saturday's 55+ Circuit Race, which was only 5 laps of 2 miles each, My
Breakaway lapped people. People who have been racing a long time. I almost didn't believe it was happening, but it was... that's what climbs can do.
So give us all the gory details, and relish every one of them. Bathe in them. It's how you learn. It's how you get stronger, both physically and mentally. They are
triumphs, Sara, that will lead to others sorts of triumphs.