One and half hour drive for a 50 minute race….. 2 cups of coffee and enough time to get in a real anxiety funk…. BUT.. I am really relaxed…no anxiety…just another great day ahead …..
Just a beautiful day… light wind… blue skies…. already 50 degrees……the warmest it has been since OCTOBER! Perfect temp for me.
A pageantry of colors, everyone in good spirits; looking for a fast good race with dreams of finishing in the top 10…….
Everyone is spinning around warming up; some doing little jumps but mostly small groups of 2-5 riders spinning and talking …. checking gears, wheels, legs (tight from yesterday’s Donaldson…..not alone on that count) and trying to keep RELAXED…..
Big 45+ field…. Joe and Perry are here from Headstrong….. Steve Sperry in Green, Spinx is out in force with maybe 8 riders (the Danfy twins towering over the peleton)… Randy, Darin, Ed (already on my wheel and we haven’t even started)…..
45minutes + 2laps (at least that is what I think…..more on that later)……
GO!
a unison of metallic clicks as everyone clips in and accelerates towards the first turn…….. slight headwind coming from the NW ….. tight pack… elbow to elbow.. back around past Start/Finish….. and the shenanigans begin…. Sperry launches only a few react, then the pack reacts…. out of the seat accelerating… heart rate spiking… speed going up over 30……. reel them in…. everyone slows a tad…made it…. relax …. relax
Goes Again!.... hard effort … chase it down…..ease up …. Relax….. Relax…. Stay near the front….DO NOT GET CAUGHT AT THE BACK when an attack happens…
Fill a gap …. move up…. at the front…..keep the pace up but DO NOT REDLINE IT!...
GET OFF THE FRONT…..
Sit in…. Attack…. chase….ease up….Attack….chase …. ease up……. 16 minutes of this………. finally the pack settles down
24 minutes in ….. legs feeling better than at the start. 25 more to go…… still a big group……
It GOES! backup to 34mph…. chase, chase… get on .. Speed is staying high …. but most everyone gets back on…….
Sit in…. Attack…. chase….ease up….Attack….chase …. on HIGH ALERT now… things are really heating up….
Glance at the watch… 40 minutes in…..need to sit back in and relax for a couple of laps….. BELL LAP? WHAT???
Perry moves up, I yell for him to go to the outside of turn 1 for us to get back to the front…. OK YOU’RE OK…..
Last turn….. the run in…. Good position…….Randy goes up the inside “rail” tight pack …. out of the seat …. moving up on Randy……… Sperry goes up the outside…… everyone is at their limit………
Can’t leave any quarters on the table……… Tunnel vision….. quads burning……..
Coast over the Finish line out of contention……
WHAT A GREAT DAY!
Just a beautiful day… light wind… blue skies…. already 50 degrees……the warmest it has been since OCTOBER! Perfect temp for me.
A pageantry of colors, everyone in good spirits; looking for a fast good race with dreams of finishing in the top 10…….
Everyone is spinning around warming up; some doing little jumps but mostly small groups of 2-5 riders spinning and talking …. checking gears, wheels, legs (tight from yesterday’s Donaldson…..not alone on that count) and trying to keep RELAXED…..
Big 45+ field…. Joe and Perry are here from Headstrong….. Steve Sperry in Green, Spinx is out in force with maybe 8 riders (the Danfy twins towering over the peleton)… Randy, Darin, Ed (already on my wheel and we haven’t even started)…..
45minutes + 2laps (at least that is what I think…..more on that later)……
GO!
a unison of metallic clicks as everyone clips in and accelerates towards the first turn…….. slight headwind coming from the NW ….. tight pack… elbow to elbow.. back around past Start/Finish….. and the shenanigans begin…. Sperry launches only a few react, then the pack reacts…. out of the seat accelerating… heart rate spiking… speed going up over 30……. reel them in…. everyone slows a tad…made it…. relax …. relax
Goes Again!.... hard effort … chase it down…..ease up …. Relax….. Relax…. Stay near the front….DO NOT GET CAUGHT AT THE BACK when an attack happens…
Fill a gap …. move up…. at the front…..keep the pace up but DO NOT REDLINE IT!...
GET OFF THE FRONT…..
Sit in…. Attack…. chase….ease up….Attack….chase …. ease up……. 16 minutes of this………. finally the pack settles down
24 minutes in ….. legs feeling better than at the start. 25 more to go…… still a big group……
It GOES! backup to 34mph…. chase, chase… get on .. Speed is staying high …. but most everyone gets back on…….
Sit in…. Attack…. chase….ease up….Attack….chase …. on HIGH ALERT now… things are really heating up….
Glance at the watch… 40 minutes in…..need to sit back in and relax for a couple of laps….. BELL LAP? WHAT???
Perry moves up, I yell for him to go to the outside of turn 1 for us to get back to the front…. OK YOU’RE OK…..
Last turn….. the run in…. Good position…….Randy goes up the inside “rail” tight pack …. out of the seat …. moving up on Randy……… Sperry goes up the outside…… everyone is at their limit………
Can’t leave any quarters on the table……… Tunnel vision….. quads burning……..
Coast over the Finish line out of contention……
WHAT A GREAT DAY!
5 comments:
Bird,
it is a pleasure being on your team. I enjoyed every minute of our race weekend, maybe not so much on Saturday, but it is all about learning - right?
Thanks!
Joe
We are off to a strong start. The TEAM is coming together. I am anxious to get back to race wiht you guys.
Enjhoyed it Joe and you did great both days.... not easy racing 2 days in row..... No matter what your age...it is a good thing to learn something new and to challenge yourself.
I look forward to racing with you next weekend....
It was a great day...I would enjoy hearing from Debbie and Sam on how their race went...
You (almost) made a crit sound fun!
To my female teammates, notice some of the things in BOLD, such as
- DO NOT GET CAUGHT AT THE BACK when an attack happens
- Fill a gap...move up...at the front...keep the pace up but DO NOT REDLINE IT!
- Attack...chase...ease up...Attack...chase...on HIGH ALERT now
And, MY personal favorite:
- OK YOU'RE OK!!!!!
Thanks for the report, Jon, and good riding to all of you!
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