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04-29-07, 06:34 PM
:D Top of Ohio road race – West Liberty, Ohio. Cat 5’s do 4 laps at 30 miles. My Cat 5 career to this point has been slow due mostly to time constraints last year, and doing Time Trials were no points are recognized for Cat upgrades. This is one of my last as a Cat 5. Last week I flatted at mile 30 of 40 at Vandervorts Corner RR in Southern Ohio. Race over, DNF.:(
Yesterday my riding partner and I get in 50 fairly hilly miles. Afterward he says I should race West Liberty. I said probably not due to housework.
After shopping at 7:30 this morning, lawn mowing at 8:30, I ask the wife for race clearance. Five minutes of negotiations later, I’m racing. All my good kit is dirty so I end up wearing a forest green spandex Starter shirt topped off with old weathered Cannondale shorts. I looked like a F'in tool, but ya know what, my cranks don’t care what I’m wearing as long as the power hits the pavement. Fredosity meet Daytonian.
The course; first third is 5 hills followed by descent, 2nd is long rollers, a hill and a turn, last third is descent, hill, descent, hill, long descent, huge finishing hill, 500 yards to finish line. Repeat 4 times.
First lap. The usual suspects jockeying and chest puffing Cat 5 krap. Hills offer ample pack cleansing, and after final climb I find myself in a break with another unattached and 2 guys we’ll call teammate 1 and 2.
Second lap at first of 5 climbs teammate 1 gets stuck in bigring (more on that later) almost stops at base of climb, I’m behind him, and his teammate jets off. Before I can get clear his teammate has 25 yards on me, I try and bridge, but after 5 climbs I sit up and rejoin other 2. Teamate 1 does no work (big surprise) so the unattached guy drags us around remainder of lap 2. During final climb I suspect these 2 may not have the go go juice for the entire trip and start evacuation plans. Since teammate 1 won’t work and unattached is wearing himself out I sit in back and wait:D
Third lap teammate 1 does the bigring thing again at the base of first climb (WTF?), I go around this time and bury it. At the top of fist hill 25 yard gap, after 4 more climbs I have 150 yards. I bury it and try and catch teammate 2. The remainder of lap 3 he lets me get to 50 yards but then jets off.
Lap 4 I bury it on first 5 hills and on back of course get to within 25 yards on 6th climb. I notice he’s looking back alot. I stay in the drops and kill myself on flats to catch this dude. On descent before 2nd to last climb I’m within 25 yards, he hits the hill and 20 feet up I have his wheel. I go around and kill it. At top of hill is a hard right, I look down and he is 25 yards back. I bury it on final descent to finishing climb. I fiqure he will pack up with other 2 and chase me down. I decide all remaining matches get lit on the climb. No sprint for me. Huge headwinds kill and demoralize my descent and at start of last hill my legs scream in protest. I watch in horror as my speed plummets, 9mph, 8, 7, F**k I’m blowing up. I stand but almost fall over, and quickly sit down. I see a cop car way up on top holding traffic for us. F**k please make the pain stop. I focus on the cop car. My speed levels at 5 mph, I finally crest the top in lactic anerobia oblivion, turn right and 500 yards away sits the finish. I find the bigring and kill it, look back twice just to check, and raise my arms across the finish.
Four things I learned after my first win.
1. Racers do stupid $hit, make sure and let them continue to do so until time is right.
2. The body can handle more pain than you can deliver it.
3. Never settle on second place and sit up because to bridge is too far.
4. Winning a bike race whatever Cat you are feels really F'in good. Definitely try it sometime.;)
edit: My Cat 5 winnings: A 4.5 pound tub o' Cytomax.
Thanks for reading
Daytonian
Yesterday my riding partner and I get in 50 fairly hilly miles. Afterward he says I should race West Liberty. I said probably not due to housework.
After shopping at 7:30 this morning, lawn mowing at 8:30, I ask the wife for race clearance. Five minutes of negotiations later, I’m racing. All my good kit is dirty so I end up wearing a forest green spandex Starter shirt topped off with old weathered Cannondale shorts. I looked like a F'in tool, but ya know what, my cranks don’t care what I’m wearing as long as the power hits the pavement. Fredosity meet Daytonian.
The course; first third is 5 hills followed by descent, 2nd is long rollers, a hill and a turn, last third is descent, hill, descent, hill, long descent, huge finishing hill, 500 yards to finish line. Repeat 4 times.
First lap. The usual suspects jockeying and chest puffing Cat 5 krap. Hills offer ample pack cleansing, and after final climb I find myself in a break with another unattached and 2 guys we’ll call teammate 1 and 2.
Second lap at first of 5 climbs teammate 1 gets stuck in bigring (more on that later) almost stops at base of climb, I’m behind him, and his teammate jets off. Before I can get clear his teammate has 25 yards on me, I try and bridge, but after 5 climbs I sit up and rejoin other 2. Teamate 1 does no work (big surprise) so the unattached guy drags us around remainder of lap 2. During final climb I suspect these 2 may not have the go go juice for the entire trip and start evacuation plans. Since teammate 1 won’t work and unattached is wearing himself out I sit in back and wait:D
Third lap teammate 1 does the bigring thing again at the base of first climb (WTF?), I go around this time and bury it. At the top of fist hill 25 yard gap, after 4 more climbs I have 150 yards. I bury it and try and catch teammate 2. The remainder of lap 3 he lets me get to 50 yards but then jets off.
Lap 4 I bury it on first 5 hills and on back of course get to within 25 yards on 6th climb. I notice he’s looking back alot. I stay in the drops and kill myself on flats to catch this dude. On descent before 2nd to last climb I’m within 25 yards, he hits the hill and 20 feet up I have his wheel. I go around and kill it. At top of hill is a hard right, I look down and he is 25 yards back. I bury it on final descent to finishing climb. I fiqure he will pack up with other 2 and chase me down. I decide all remaining matches get lit on the climb. No sprint for me. Huge headwinds kill and demoralize my descent and at start of last hill my legs scream in protest. I watch in horror as my speed plummets, 9mph, 8, 7, F**k I’m blowing up. I stand but almost fall over, and quickly sit down. I see a cop car way up on top holding traffic for us. F**k please make the pain stop. I focus on the cop car. My speed levels at 5 mph, I finally crest the top in lactic anerobia oblivion, turn right and 500 yards away sits the finish. I find the bigring and kill it, look back twice just to check, and raise my arms across the finish.
Four things I learned after my first win.
1. Racers do stupid $hit, make sure and let them continue to do so until time is right.
2. The body can handle more pain than you can deliver it.
3. Never settle on second place and sit up because to bridge is too far.
4. Winning a bike race whatever Cat you are feels really F'in good. Definitely try it sometime.;)
edit: My Cat 5 winnings: A 4.5 pound tub o' Cytomax.
Thanks for reading
Daytonian