Lithuania

*edit* Ugh this is long. I couldnt help it I was excited! Now I understand how people do multiple races in a day.

about 2.5 weeks ago I took part in my first ever training crit. It was a small race of less then 20 people but I got shelled a little over halfway through and finished DFL. I didnt get lapped or pulled so that gave me enough confidence to try out a real race.

Today was the Bobby Phillips Turkey Day Race. It's the last race of the season in the area. The course is a flat big ring 1.3 mile circuit with 3 90 degree corners. The race is 11 laps.

My previous race had a decent sized hill on it that killed me so being that this course was flat I wasnt sure if it would be easier to stay with the group or harder because it was likely flatter. I was also nervous because this was the last race of the season and there was a lot of prizes available so I figured a lot of good riders would show up.

My first mistake was checking the list of confirmed riders the night before. I saw that I was like one of five other riders not to be attached. This psyched me out a little because it made me feel alone. At least in the training race I had DrPete to ride with to settle my nerves.

I get to the race and hour early and my nerves are going. I am still intimidated by all the other people getting ready with thier fancy kits and bikes. I get my stuff together buy my license and hop on my bike.
Once I am on the course warming up the nerves go away.

Riding the course I see that it really is pretty much flat. There is a few inclines but nothing worth noting really. Out of the final turn there is a little rise but it flattens out and may even decline before the finish.

I roll up to the starting line in what I think is pretty near the front. Turns out I am pretty near the back. Oh well.

The race starts and the pace doesnt seem to be as fast as I expected. I take the first turn easy just to see what its like with everyone around me. Cool. Now at the second turn I say F it and sprint by a bunch of people putting me into the front quarter of the group.

At the end of the first lap Im like "damn can I keep this pace up?" which was much different then my first race where I was like "this isnt too bad I can probably stay with the group the whole time if its like this".
One thing I learned from reading this board comes into play at this point. I make sure I dont look at my computer. Who cares what speed it is? Lets just go by feel.

After the first corner on 2nd lap I really notice that this is a recovery section and I start to feel confident again. On the second corner it seems to slow even more and the effort is like zilch when I am in the middle of the group.

By the 3rd lap I am still hanging in pretty good in the front quarter.

On the 4th I notice I have faded near the rear. After a few corners I position myself much better.

Now I am near the front 15 or so when they ring the bell for the first prime. Now Im thinking the pace is going to pick up for the people that want this but it really doesnt. As we come around to the line I am in the front 10 and I start to turn it up to see what I can do. I start moving up and when I realize I am in like the top 6 or 7 at the 200m mark I kind of freak out. "holy crap I am still in this race enough to see who will win the prime!" For a moment I think about going for it but I decide I would rather try to finish this race in the group so I conserve my energy and soft pedal back into the group.

Another lap goes by and they ring the bell for another prime. I am not as close to the front this time so I just concentrate on staying in the pack and out of the win. At this point I realize I dont really know how far into the race we are. Comming around for the prime I see there are only 4! laps left. Wow I might finish this race with the group!

Comming back round I see the 3. "Man seeing a 2 with the group will be gold for finishing with them." I am in the top 7 or so now. Taking the first corner like this is GREAT. No slowing at all. "Man I love this."

2 laps left. "I am going to do this!"

1 lap to go. "uh oh I bet here is where the pace gets real high and I go bye bye. Crap there are like 30 riders in front of me."

First corner. "My legs still feel good let me sprint by a bunch of people. YES! I am in like the front quarter again.

Second corner. A group goes for it. "F it. let me see if I can stay with them. Wow Ive kind bridged to the back of the leading 8 riders!"

Final corner. "Ugh I cant hang. The wind is brutal in a smaller group. Let me just draft someone closely and bring it home. Damn people are comming around me from all sides with 500m to go. Oh well, at least I am finishing with the group. Hey I gots a little more left. Let me just give it all I got."

I pass a few of the riders that passed me and I dont bother trying to sprint since crashing now would be dumb.

As I cross the line a let out a shout. I did it. I finished with the group! This is a major victory for me.

As we are cooling down I hear a lot of people talking about how fast the pace was and how suprising it was that the peloton never really blew up. I really didnt think it was that fast at all. There were definitely points in the race where I was annoyed at how much it slowed. I felt like those were the times when someone should have put the hammer down to try and split the peloton. I know I might have dropped if that happened.

I really relaxed while the race was going on. I had no nerves at all. I really enjoy riding close to other people and taking corners with them was awesome. I was talking a lot while in the peloton and cracking jokes. I was really paying attention to the riders ahead to be prepared. At one point someone blew there chain but I didnt panic as I saw the chain fly past. I got yelled at once for taking a corner too wide near the end but at the point I didnt care because I was going all out at the moment and it wasnt THAT wide and there was no one on either side of me. I apologized and road off.

Sticking around I see that I finished 29th out of 40. I thought there was 50 people signed up so I was dissappointed to finish so far back after being in the top 10 with less the k to go and a 50 meter gap. I have to keep telling myself I should be happy just finishing with the pack but after this I really feel like I could win one of these races and that I let a possible good showing get away.

Now I know for sure I am hooked. I am going to scour the race sites to see if I can find another race to do. Even if its a few hundred miles away I dont care. I just want to race again.

this race just made me feel so good.

VosBike

and my friends always ask me "why the hell do you race a bike?"

Sounds awesome, good report.

Dead Extra #2

Great work! Great report too, congrats.

DrPete 

WTG, Riskus! And you were worried...

Is this the part where I find out that full-body shave is happening?

Lithuania

no shaving yet. i almost made the crack that if the prime was for a razor it was all me.

DrPete 

If I buff up the legs a bit more this winter I might beat you to it.

Lithuania

what happened to the mr anti shaving guy i met in greenbelt?

FatguyRacer

Nice job young man. Tradezone was where i scored my first pack finish as a cat 5 back in the olden days and i was in my early thirties and didnt have any gray hair. It's all downhill from here.

BTW - I came first in every race today. I was guy driving the pace car.

DrPete 

He's been staring at his legs and wondering curiously.

Lithuania

You were there today? You had to have seen me. I was the guy with the huge out of place beard.

I still cant get over how well I did.

Now i have the motivation to train BIG TIME this winter. I just wish it would get here faster so I could start.




Pete,

I was looking at myself today and just thinking about what a terribly long job it would be for me to shave.

FatguyRacer

I saw you. I have to admit the first time i did, i did a WTF? That looks real hot. Like as in unbearably hot.

Lithuania

its much worse in the winter when it get wet and freezes