Racing is HARD! My first criterium race was last week. I wanted to do 2 things. I wanted to not crash and I wanted to finish. I managed to not crash. However, there was no finishing the race for me. I was spit out the back of the pack someplace in the 6th lap and pulled off the course at the end of lap 10.
The guy who I wrote about back in march who had a gut and big goggles, the one who I said maybe it was his plan to win the 3rd lap of that 2 day race. He finished.
An older guy who I think I did better then in the time trial about a month ago, He was pulled off the course about 10-15 laps after me.
There it is: My first race. Deeply humbling.
I want to keep racing, but I clearly have alot of work to do if I want to accomplish both goals next time.
The next day I went and did my 30 mile hilly suburban loop, just to get out of the house. Wifey was on vacation down south. I did the ride and charged on all the hills, then I did some intervals on the flat from conshe to Manayunk. It wasn’t until I was driving to the airport to pick up Stephanie a few hours later that i realized that I did the whole ride up all the hills from my house to Conshe without stopping. not once. That was a first.
Did my 3rd week of the QCW tuesday morning sprint work out. I feel like I am improving ever so slowly there as well. I still get dropped, but less each time, and my pack handling skills are getting a little better.
Safety first.
Thats all for now.
One Comment
McKenna, Keep on other people’s wheels. The closer the better. Don’t go to the front of the pack unless you’re on a team and you’re a.) blocking or b.) chasing. If you are not on a team, you have no business tugging the group along because you’ll just run out of gas. It’s all about positioning in cycling. If a solid rider or two jump off the front, and you’re feeling good, grab their wheels and maybe some magic will happen. Otherwise have patience and tuck in.
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[...] 5 bicycle race does embody the Hobesian description of Man in his natural state. This was certainly my experience last year when i raced my first criterium. IE no rules, no cooperation, total war, what have you. I wasn’t in the best shape and [...]
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