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07-25-07, 08:01 PM
Botto version:
I raced this evening.
I did not get dropped.
That is all.
Slightly longer version:
A really nice training crit on an ~1.65 mile course with no sharp turns -- the one 180 is a really nice gradual turn. C race is scheduled for a max of 30 minutes; they gave us 6 laps. 34 starters in a mixed men's 4/5, women's 4, juniors 4 race. But wait, the woman who recently won both the state 45+ RR and Crit is in the race. She has a reputation locally for dropping the men (at least that's one guy tells me).
1st lap -- I am on the front row in the lineup by pure accident. I miss my clip, but don't take anyone down. Get the f' out of the way and let some of the faster guys set the pace. Hmmm. The faster guys don't seem that fast.
Later in 1st lap -- people let gaps open. I start covering them. Continue to do this on the 2nd lap -- close the gaps! Mind the wheels!
End of 2nd lap. Fast guys seem faster now.
3rd lap. Crap. This is fast. Still closing gaps, but some of them are from me, not from others.
4th lap. Is that bell lap? No a prime? Legs start asking me what the hell we're doing.
5th lap. Prime -- must maintain contact through start/finish! I hold on get some recovery as folks let up a bit.
6th lap. Hold it until the sprint starts. I chose not to contest it -- I met my initial goal of not being dropped. I finish ~15 at the back of the main pack.
Interesting race -- flying, breaking the legs into the wind as we roll around the back side and approaching the start finish in a nice little cross wind, but if you could hold on or close back on at the start/finish, you could usually recover enough to survive.
My 3 year old asks me if I won socks (we watched the race last week, and one of the primes was socks). I laugh and say no. He says, "Because you were too slow?" I say yes. He suggests I ride faster next time. Good advice.
I raced this evening.
I did not get dropped.
That is all.
Slightly longer version:
A really nice training crit on an ~1.65 mile course with no sharp turns -- the one 180 is a really nice gradual turn. C race is scheduled for a max of 30 minutes; they gave us 6 laps. 34 starters in a mixed men's 4/5, women's 4, juniors 4 race. But wait, the woman who recently won both the state 45+ RR and Crit is in the race. She has a reputation locally for dropping the men (at least that's one guy tells me).
1st lap -- I am on the front row in the lineup by pure accident. I miss my clip, but don't take anyone down. Get the f' out of the way and let some of the faster guys set the pace. Hmmm. The faster guys don't seem that fast.
Later in 1st lap -- people let gaps open. I start covering them. Continue to do this on the 2nd lap -- close the gaps! Mind the wheels!
End of 2nd lap. Fast guys seem faster now.
3rd lap. Crap. This is fast. Still closing gaps, but some of them are from me, not from others.
4th lap. Is that bell lap? No a prime? Legs start asking me what the hell we're doing.
5th lap. Prime -- must maintain contact through start/finish! I hold on get some recovery as folks let up a bit.
6th lap. Hold it until the sprint starts. I chose not to contest it -- I met my initial goal of not being dropped. I finish ~15 at the back of the main pack.
Interesting race -- flying, breaking the legs into the wind as we roll around the back side and approaching the start finish in a nice little cross wind, but if you could hold on or close back on at the start/finish, you could usually recover enough to survive.
My 3 year old asks me if I won socks (we watched the race last week, and one of the primes was socks). I laugh and say no. He says, "Because you were too slow?" I say yes. He suggests I ride faster next time. Good advice.