After deciding to race last fall and preparing through the winter and now the early spring the first race was finally here. The Long Run Park Circuit Race was held this morning in the east county. After a fidgety night of nervous sleep I woke up early, packed in a nice breakfast, dropped the kids with my kind sister and headed east to LRP.
I parked and began various stages of getting ready – put the bike together, pump tires, arm warmers, get race numbers, add-on the 4/5 race, pin numbers on, etc. I have been talking all week and met up with the locust who kindly shared some Winston’s embrocation for the brisk morning. I set off to take a few laps prior to the race start and hit one with a guy I went to school with, and two laps with Mr. Wilson. This made for 9 o’clock and off we went.
I had been given the impression that this Cat 5 race (as opposed to last year with only a 4/5) would be maybe not too fast, and since so early in the season maybe a little sloppy and disorganized…not so. This course starts with a strong downhill right away and then turns left into a slight but selecting climb. My biggest concerns coming into the race were riding in a pack, and two tight turns around the 2/3rds area. In the first lap I settled toward the middle of the pack as I felt it out. I did have a guy in front of me take a funny line in a curve and I felt quite close to going off the road but I made it through and that was the worst. The finish to the race was uphill and as we crossed the line I was able to move up to the front group pretty easily. I followed that around and then in the third lap on the selecting climb I found my self on the outside line charging to the front. All of the sudden I was leading the race but absolutely could not hold as we dropped back down into the technical section. That was tactical error one, number two came shortly thereafter when I was unable to hold the last wheel of the group and I was not to see contact again with that bunch. I found my self kind of strung out and alone and I finished the race alone. I made pretty good time and finished somewhere toward the top third of the 50 racers.
On Friday I made a visit to one of my favorite LBS’s and looking for pre-race information. They suggested I add the 4/5 race as well and just get in there for extra experience and fitness building. Sounded good to me and I did so. I didn’t really think through that it would only be a 10 minute cool down between but so it goes. I sucked down a clif bar and got back in the mix. I started in the back of a full 75 rider field. I never made contact with the front group this time but I wasn’t really expecting to do so anyhow. I did once again manage to stay toward the front third of this 8 lap race. Around the third lap I paired up with a guy who I surmised was named Ronnie from the periodic cheering he got. It took some time and him observing that I was grabbing his wheel on the downhills after I was pulling the hills but we started working together some and finished the race together. The bell lap came around and it felt like Ronnie and I were marking each other. As we came to the uphill finish we both came out of the saddle and then all of the sudden the sprint was on! I thought I went a tad early but clamped down and took it by a wheel. That was really exciting for sure. We gave each other congrats and he reached out to shake my hand. I must give props again to Ben W. as well as Tim C. of the Twin Spires team. They cheered/heckled me every lap of that race. It makes a big difference to hear that as you come around.
Also my boss/friend Billy came out and cheered me on through the first race. He also brought his camera and sent me some picks. Here I am trying to dig deep after the third lap and have been gapped:
All in all I am very pleased at my first day of racing. I went into it looking for the experience and hoped to finish in the upper third which I did. It confirmed what I mostly knew already – endurance-good, climbing-pretty good, speed-needs work.
I am going to start working the logistic angles right away and see if I can make the race next Saturday in Lexington.
