sarals 

AzT - you know I have your advice phrase on my top tube...one of the mentors saw it and just loved it. "We should all do that," he said.

IBOHUNT

"Race smart"?

sarals 

That would be good!

AzT was thinking in broader terms when I told me, one day, "Look long".

shovelhd

Sounds like you had fun, and that's what it's all about.

sarals 

Shovel, I really did. What made it fun was being able to DO WHAT I WANTED to do. That said, I burned too many matches. I'm learning that I have the power, for the most part, that the kidlins do, but my matchbook is much smaller. I have to be more efficient and wiser on how and where to use what I have. I got some great feedback from coach today on how to do that, and once again, it equates to "smoothness". I reverted to "on/off" with the power, and I wasn't anticipating moves in the peloton as timely as I should. For as many laps as I can last in Cherry Pie, well, those will be my goals - smooth, and anticipate.

IBOHUNT

I look forward to that report. By the end of the year I expect that we'll see Sarah on the box

revchuck 

Yeah, the top step, too. Guys will be whining about being chicked by 61 year old blonde.

IBOHUNT

Then the next thing you know we'll see somebody post a different version of Hitler getting wacked out of shape youTube deal

Allegheny Jet

I get chicked on a regular basis in cross races. Wondering if thats why I don't do them much anymore....

sarals 

Oh, I'm not gonna chick anyone! Thank you, though!

I have to get to the end of the race, and I don't mean just finishing, but staying in the good position that I can do for for 4/5's of a crit. I'll get there. If it's hilly, though - maybe not! I still struggle on the hills (hear that, Cavendish?).

IBO, Cherry Pie is not going to produce any kind of a finish for me. I'm being realistic about it. It's a hard course, with a nasty soul crushing hill right at the end of it. There is no real recovery on the short descent of that hill. It's all about fitness, positioning, racing smart, and why is this race in February??? Fitness I lack, and I have to be smarter. If I can get four good laps, in position, before the hill gets me, I'll call it great training.

sarals 

Ummmmm...62, in two weeks! You guys know I've never been coy about my age. Or my weight!

AzTallRider

Aren't many guys in AZ who have not been chicked by my friend Anna Sanders. When she joins a team ride, we try to box her in on the climbs to keep the pain down.

sarals 

She looks remarkably like my friend Courtney van Dimple. She's an on and off pro, and she's amazing. She's asked me when I'm going to ride with her. My answer? When I'm on my motorcycle and she's on her bike - I would stand a chance of staying with her, then.

revchuck 

So it begins...registered this morning for my first race of the year, in Monroe, 20km TT in the morning and a 25 minute crit in the afternoon.

Allegheny Jet

Good luck. You have worked hard. When are the races?

sarals 

Keep your head about you, nerves under control and I know you'll do well. As Shovel said, you've worked hard - you certainly have the skills and strength. Crush some souls, my friend!

revchuck 

That race is February 16. Following race is March 9 (Rouge-Roubaix), then my team's stage race on March 29-30.

Planning on it!

Hermes

February LAVRA Time Trials at Velo Sports Center in Carson, CA.

I raced team sprint and 500 meters.

Team Sprint - Hermes, Racer Ex and Big M - We race for socks.




500 meters 6/28 all ages and genders. I included the women and juniors to increase the field size. However, that is a double edge sword since the fastest time was a junior and there were fast women including a woman from the Team USA (I did beat her). This was my best performance for this time of year in the 500 by 3 seconds since I started racing track in 2008.

sarals 

Cherry Pie Criterium, Napa CA - Women's Cat 4

Northern California's fickle drought tried to end in the span of three days, over this past weekend. Of course I had a crit I wanted to do!

Drove up to the San Francisco Bay Area Saturday morning to attend a clinic in the East bay, and then I went over to San Francisco to overnight and then drive to Napa yesterday morning for my 11:20 AM race. On the way up on Saturday I had a "Low Tire" caution light come on, and when I got off the freeway - yes, left rear tire was darned near flat. I dug out my floor pump and pumped it up (that had to have looked interesting from passer-bys!) and made it to the clinic. When I left the clinic some hours later - the tire was completely flat. AAA, and the donut spare, and I was off for San Francisco.

Now, this falls under the category of "I shoulda knowd". When I left San Fran yesterday morning, the GPS routed me over the Bay Bridge, not the Golden Gate, which is the more direct route. That's because Highway 12, which goes over to Napa from 101 (somehow) was flooded and closed. Major hint!

I arrived at the site of the Cherry Pie a little over an hour later. The rain was coming down at a moderate pace, and there were riders milling about warming up, etc. I thought I'd see for myself how things were on the walk to check in. Things were bad! I watched a men's Cat 5 race, and those kids were tippy-toeing around the corners. Spray coming up, lots of squinting, not a lot of speed. Lots of water everywhere, and it was on the chilly side. I took a picture, texted it to Ex with a "what do you think?" question, and he answered "not worth the risk".

I decided to stick it out until the W4 field got ready to roll off, and when they did, the rain really started coming down. I got soaked just watching.

Much as I wanted to be out there, age, wisdom and good advice prevailed. I'll live to fight another day.

AzTallRider

Sounds like a wise decision. We do this for fun, after all.

revchuck 

+1. It ain't the last crit of the season. It probably would've taken more time to clean your bike post-race than racing the crit, anyway.

sarals 

Fellas, amen.

To make up for it, I just added another road race to the schedule. I do better at crits, but what the hey...

shovelhd

No shame in that. If you're not confident in your abilities in the rain, stay safe.

sarals 

Shovel, fact of the matter is I have very little time in the rain. Also, it is so early in the season, and I've not even started any intensity. I don't want to chance ending my season before I even get a chance to really start it. Thanks!

Racer Ex 

Sometimes it's less a question of confidence in your own abilities than it is about those around you. But even for even the most skilled folks wet pavement creates a very fine line to gather up even small mistakes.

I'd be comfortable wagering my bike handling skills against most anyone; both times I crumpled my spine up were on wet pavement. Columbus goes exploring and actually falls off the edge of the world.