The Races
Cat 5
TT 7.7 Miles up a nasty 400ft climb, total elevation gain 750ft, course basically saw blade up then down
RR 21 Miles, same profile only longer, totla elevation gain 1,400, same blade up and then down
Crit .7 Mile 30 minutes - almost dead flat

This will not be a race report for those that love readin how someone crushes the field or comes form behind for the big win. It is written by an enthusiast who has ridden a road bike for just over a year now and has fallen in love with the speed and mental exercise of pushing myself to limit in bike racing. This report is long and tedious so you are forwarned, I hope the beginner racer, the guy on the sidelines wondering what if, will get something form this. I had ridden in a total of 5 races before this, taking 6/13 in a beginner/citizen crit, DFL in a Cat4/35+ crit, a DNF in a Cat4/35+ hilly circuit, a flat out/dq in a circuit and a 8/15 in another beginner/citizen crit.

More background, I am 41 (42 apparently to the USCF, who knew I had aged so quickly), wife two kids under 5 years old, full time job and moved the family from UT to CO this spring negating any training i had done up until June. I ride maybe 4-6 hours a week getting in maybe a 100 miles, often less. Most of my rides are for an hour to an hour and a half with a two-three hour ride every other week or so. I weigh 218 right now, down from 228 in early summer and down from 254 a year and a half ago.

I had realistic expectations coming into this race. I had taken a day a few weeks ago to ride the TT and the RR courses and I knew they weren't the ideal for someone carrying my weight or fitness level. That said it was one of the few chances to ride cat5 here in Colorado and I wanted to see how I could do against other newbies and it was going to be my last chance to race this fall. The event is a new NRC event and I have to say they put on a great event. Everything went very smoothly and I hope to be able to do it again next year. Because of time restraints I never got to see the pros race, one of the few things I regret about the weekend. Well, on to the races.

I got to the venue early so I could get registered and have a decent warmup, near the parking lot the Crit course had anice street leading off it that had a nice incline so I warmed up and then did some repeats on the hill just to get the heart rate pumping but not too tough to start wearing me down. I then rolled over to the TT start. I noticed they were sending guys off in the order of our bib numbers, I noticed one guy hanging around the back, I mentioned to him that I think he missed his start, he told me, no, I go off in ten minutes, I told him to check, he blew me off, I laughed to myself, jerk, I am at least going to get ahead of one guy. Sure enough the starter makes his way down the line of riders and informs him that he had missed his start and he better get going becuase the clock is ticking.

So now its me, I get in the gate, I am pretty calm, and 5,4,3,2,1 go. Within a minute I am pegged, we are on a false flat up and I am going about 20-21mph. I am in my tuck and I know this is the only part of the race that I am going to have an advantage. I actually saw my 30 second man in range right before we hit the hill. I knew this was going to hurt but had mentally prepared for it, while I was getting closer to my half minute man, the guy behind me passed me. A note about this guy, here is a Cat5 racer on a Cervelo P3 with deep dish Rolf wheels, sangbagger anybody?? Anyway he passes me about the same time a little guy that was a minute behind me goes by. I am worried now, my fear is that I would get passed by 10-12 guys and its already started 2 miles into the race. So this is my motivation to keep pedaling as hard as I could. I must have been anaerobic for the entire climb. I finally reach the top and I notice that no-one has passed me, this is a good sign, now its time to power up and get going.

I still see my half minute man and in front of him what must have been my minute man. I power through some ups and downs and I am catching my minute man as half minute man dangles in front of me. We get to the downhill and I just start turning the cranks as fast as I can, and I catch and pass the minute man (top speed according to my compu was 36.5mph), with half minute man still in sights, I make the final turn and I am all out. Whew, I hear my time as I passed the line and I am pleased. When I had pre-ridden the course it had taken about 28 minutes, now all out I was at 21 and some change. While I never caught half minute man, I had beaten him and a few others. It ends up the guys that passed me ended up 2nd and 5th out of the 32 guys, I was 24th, my half and my minute man finshed right behind me, I am happy and now look forward to the next day, which I know is going to be another painfull one.

Gotta get some work done, Part 2 tomorrow.