Hmmm.... where to start. Well, I guess at the beginning - or at least since the last post. I'll do my best to hit the highlights and not bore you (or wear out my fingers) with a play-by-play. Suffice it to say that the past few weeks have been pretty well packed with racing, both on foot and on the bike. So, without any further ado . . .
Bethel Cat 3/4 and Pro123 crits - April 13
As I mentioned in my last post, I wanted to support my buddy SDC in the last of the Bethel races for 2014. This is the first year in, like, forever that I haven't done all/most of this 6 race series in March/April. But I couldn't let the last race go by without jumping in - especially since it may be the last race there forever, not just for the year.
I was more nervous lining up than usual, knowing that most of the rest of the pack already had at least 5 races in their legs. But I did well, not only held my own, but chased down a few breaks as well. So I had some effect on the race, but it was hard. Teammate Joel led out SDC at the end - there were a bunch of guys up the road at that point, but SDC won the field sprint.
Then, figuring it'd be a good workout (as if I hadn't already pummeled myself enough) I lined up for the pro race. I can actually say that I effected the outcome of that race because I lined up at the front and at the gun, one guy took off with me trailing him (and leading the pack). Then another guy went past me and up the road. I was still leading the pack. I actually led the pro race more than half a lap before I looked over my shoulder and said "Really?! You're gonna let me pull your sorry butts around at this pitiful speed as those guys go up the road?" (or something like that). The bottom line: those two guys held their break the entire race and won 1st/2nd.
And I'm the one that (inadvertently) caused the split that let them slip away.
I only lasted 9 more laps, for a total of 10, before I decided my legs had had enough of the hill and pulled out. But I felt good & strong, surprised that the worst pain was from the saddle. Need to ride more. Oh, and I didn't crash. So that was a plus. Unfortunately, the next race I wasn't so lucky.
Ninigret Cat 3 April 19
Any race at the track at Ninigret (in Charlestown, RI) is a fun race. It's pancake flat, but always windy. And this particular race was one of the windiest. I always do well here, so I was looking forward to the confidence-boost.
SDC, Joel & I lined up together again - and we had teammates Stan & Mike in it as well, so we were feeling pretty good about our chances. Stan won the Plainville crit series a few weeks back and is riding super strong.
I felt pretty good too, though this race was a lot more strung out than Bethel so there were fewer places to hide and recover. And being flat, you were all-out much of the time. I really felt the effect of not having much racing in my legs - they were really tired a lot of the time, especially after the hard efforts needed to hang onto wheels. But I was able to bring back a few breaks, and actually got into a few breaks myself, though none of them stuck.
So as we got down to single-digit laps, I started thinking about the finish - whether I'd be able to help Stan or SDC, or even be able to do something myself.
Unfortunately, fate had other plans. The wind was strong and a headwind on the finishing straight. So just about every time we hit that wall of air, we'd slow down, spread out, and bunch up. And of course that's the best time for attacks to go too. Given all the difference in speeds, the finishing straight was pretty sketchy much of the race. As we were coming into the bell lap - just one lap left to go - guys bunched up and slowed down just as a bunch of other guys tried to move up. The result was inevitable - a huge pileup. Unfortunately, I was got caught up in it. Fortunately, I landed on a bunch of dudes so I escaped (relatively) unharmed.
But unfortunately, again, my bike wasn't so lucky:
Wheels got knocked out of true, but the worst was that I basically demolished my nice Campy Record carbon lever. Ouch! Skin heals, and insurance covers broken bones, but destroying Campy compenents really hurts. Bike's with friend Adam for rehab, and fortunately I have an old pair of Campy Veloce levers. Hope to have it back tomorrow.
Burn Calories for Fuel 5k Bloomfield, April 26
Saving the best for last, today was the highlight of my recent racing - but it didn't start out that way. I'd pre-registered for the Bloomfield race as well as the Old Saybrook Seaside Shuffle, so when I woke up to rain this morning, I didn't (allow myself to) think too much about bailing out. I'd been running every other day since crashing (and since I didn't have a bike anyway) and I just started a 10k training program. So I was eager to see how I'd do.
I got to the race venue and it was still raining, though lightly. Fortunately, registration was in a big, warm gym and had nice locker rooms and bathrooms. So I got my bib, changed into a combination of clothes I thought would be best given the conditions, and headed to the line with about 90 other racers. And THIS time I remembered to bring my music.
When the horn blew, we were off. I'd started at the back deliberately so I could go at my own pace and get a little motivation from passing folks if I could. I was eager to see what the clock would say at my first mile split. When I saw 7:50 I took my mind off my legs for a bit to calculate what I wanted for a time at the next split. I figured 10 seconds faster so 7:40 - or 14:90 total. Um..... Ok, I'd have to be at 15:30 at the next clock to be on time.
Well, I saw "15:30" - but ended up I was still a ways away. Turns out, I did my first two splits within a second of each other - 7:48 & 7:49. I was determined my last split would be much better.
That last mile hurt a bit, but I hit 7:03 for the last split and stopped the clock at 23:35, more than two minutes faster than my Niantic time and at 7:36 pace, well below my sub-8 minute mile goal.
And Strava told me I'd collected 5 PRs for the day, including my first sub 7 minute mile.
Very cool.
I met friend Daniel at a nice breakfast place he told me about and had a celebratory stack of apple fritter french toast. He asked how I did and when I told him he asked how I did in my age bracket. I had no clue. So, curious, when I got home, I checked.
Podium, baby! Unfortunately, I missed the awards ceremony. It didn't even occur to me that I'd place and I'd been so focused on changing out of my wet clothes and getting to breakfast that I'd left the race as quick as I could.
Oh well, at least I know how I did - and now, through the wonders of the internets and blogs, so do you :^)
So now I'm focused on making sure there is a "next time." I'd hate for today to be the only time I do so well - and miss out on the festivities.
The Saybrook Seaside Shuffle is tomorrow. I've never run two days back-to-back, much less two races. So I'll see how I feel and how sore I am from today. But I'll be trying for an encore performance.
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