Cat4/5 Velo Fest Road Race 4/14: 37 miles. Flat, flat, flat course. 6 Turns. Somewhat windy. Not ideal for a lanky alien like me. Sat in mid-pack for the first 1/4. Chillin. Advanced to top 10 about 1/3 of the way through. Still sitting in. 13 or so miles to go, dude in front of me (who I had marked as a strong rider, for whatever that's worth) makes a move, so I hop on. We ride off the front, and he almost immediately pulls off. I put in a hard effort (~29mph or so), then try to pull off. He doesn't pull through. Slow it down slightly. Look back, the field is well strung out. I try to move over, but everyone follows. Finally really slow it down, disheartened, and begin my demise to the back of the pack. Legs are pretty well cooked. I realize that in the blindness of my misery I have drifted to the very back. The pace slows down for the last 5 miles or so, the road is clogged, and I give up hope of advancing. By this point I am wallowing in existential dilemma. Finish with the pack, obviously don't try to contest anything. Realize a dude on my team got 3rd (who wisely sat in 12th wheel or so most of the race).
Lessons learned: if you're going to attack, you should fully commit. Otherwise, just sit in, esp. when you're a weeny on a dead flat course.