First Road Race report
 

I made a three day weekend of it 6,7, and 8th. Last Thursday I drove to Spokane,WA for the Tour de Cure kickoff social/ party where I was a featured speaker sharing my story with the participants and volunteers for the event. My story is one of great weight loss and defeating (at least for now) diabetes. Friday I went for an 22.7 mile ride where even though I was mostly just riding at tempo I gained 18 personal Strava segment records. Saturday was an easy 18 mile spin with my BFF. Then the drive home to prepare for the race on Sunday.

Sunday morning we were up @4:30 AM, what a crappy time for DST to begin, oh well I went to bed early on Saturday so mostly got enough sleep. By 5:30 AM we, wife, son Richard and myself were on the road for the 3 hour drive to the Olympic Peninsula and Mason Lake. It was cold and somewhat foggy on the way there but the sky cleared right before the race. The roads were dry, nearly no wind but temps in the low 40's. We had a neutral roll out down a hill, through a corner and up a hill. I thought I was staying about mid pack of about 35 riders. The course was 3 laps about 12 miles each over rolling terrain, nothing too steep or long. It felt like a fast group ride and I was keeping up just fine. Each hill I would shift down as needed and then shift up as we flattened out or started down. As it turns out I was actually near the back with my son a couple riders in front of me. 5.5 miles into the race was a sharp right hand turn and I lost the draft almost hanging on for the next .7 mile only to lose it on a small rise. Over the next 4ish miles I worked my way back up to the tail and lost contact again going up a small hill. I kept battling with about 5 other riders who were also off the back. Finally to be passed by the follow car right about the starting point. From then on I was on my own. I had almost reeled on of these other riders in about 3 miles into the second lap when he abandoned. There is no quit in me. I kept charging and riding as hard as I could for the rest of the race.

My wife thinks there were still some other riders behind me at the end of the first two laps but they may have abandoned as well. She and my son seem to think I finished only 5-6 minutes behind the leaders.

This is my son's 3rd year racing. He however has had a bunch of problems with flatting out of races so he is still Cat 5. He raced smart working his way towards the front. He said the final lap was a game of cat and mouse that continued well past the 1K to go sign. When he reached the 200M sign he decided to attack from about 10th place. He said he had to ride on the shoulder gravel but won the sprint and the race. His first victory on the road. He and I agree that if I would not have lost contact in the first lap I would have been able to finish in the peloton. I know what I need to do next Sunday at race #2 on the same course.

Way to tough it out. Its that mental game the people have a hard time winning. Never quit! It may be easy to say but it is hard to do. Congrats!

for sure, way to stick it out. Don't stop until the ref's pull you!!

I find most races are hard as crap in the first 10mins, often it's a all out sprint from the start some come warmed up, dripping in sweat to the line. You just have to endure everything given to you. Legs on fire, high HR, can't breathe ect, can't drink either, find that draft buddy!! It will eventually slow down a couple mph. Just enough to catch your breath but keep your HR in the zone. The trick it not stay on the same guy's wheel for a long time, he might pop or the guy in front of him and if you don't look up in time. you might have to cover a 5+ bike gap at speeds. There goes a few matches HA. Good luck on the next one!! and congrats to the kid :thumb:

I just cant get the bug to race. Even when I was in much better shape a few years ago, I hung out with a few local racers and they had a crit training night each week. Nothing serious, but they set up a course around the airpark and put out cones. Simply stuff like sprint from this cone to that one kind of thing.

I rode with those boys several times that year on that course, and WOW is all I can say. Pain, Pain and more Pain. Not to mention the crashed bikes in cats 5-4. They have official races each week as well, and there are crashes most weeks.

I cant hang, and even if I could, I cant miss work, and buy a new bike.

Not to take a thing away from you BW, great job....I just dont have the desire.

Great work! I love racing! Over the years one thing I have picked up is to move towards the front of the bunch as you approach a climb. This gives you the opportunity to drop back on the climb, but still stay in contact with the bunch. It's actually a technique used by any switched on rider that I know who's not a mountain goat!

Also try and stay in the mid pack, especially in the front 1/3rd. You will use a lot less energy up there as there's a lot less surging/rubber banding of the bunch up there, and the draft is still good. It also gives you a chance to recover yourself if you miss a move/jump. Rather than having to recover from behind, you might just drop back a few positions. On top of that, it's generally safer up there too. Most crashes happen further back in bunches.

Thanks y'all. While I was in the pack it was fun. As it turns out I finished much farther back than my wife estimated. However I was not last and there were some DNF. I'll still hold my head up. I likely will not race much due to the cost but it is fun, a different kind of fun, but fun none the less.

Sounds like a great weekend and what a great finish for your son!

Congrats. That's awesome. What was your speed average for this event?

Great effort and congrats to your son.
Learning what to do is a major step in the battle. Looking forward to the next report.

19.8 mph 1913 feet of climb. I am not a climber either.

Thanks Jarrett2 and IBOHUNT!

Congratulations, and I am glad you had fun :)

Now get back on that bike :)

See you in May at the Tour de Cure in Spokane :)

Awesome, that's cooking.

Speaking of the TdC have you joined Team Red? Jay says he would be happy to have you on his team. It will be a great event.

Yes sir I have :) I am looking forward to it. I got a good 15 miler in on Saturday, but did the pinch flat wipeout two miles from home so I got to fix a flat and ride home to mend bruises and scrapes (nothing broken). I am getting more climbing on the rides I have been doing outside (rail road overpasses, viaducts, and the like).

:)