Today started out a lot better than it did yesterday since no one ran over my bike wheel with their car prior to my race but their were still bike issues.....just not during the race.
So I am trying to not be too hard on myself but I have to say that the outcome of today's race was a bit a of a bummer for me. I came in 5th but should have done much better than that because my fitness is there.
I had the power today but just not when I needed it which was at the very beginning of the race. A bit of a lack of power off the line despite a great warm up and a great call up along with a problem getting into my pedals left me fighting to get to the front by the first corner of the race. NOT the position you want to be in on the first corner. But you take it for what its worth and move forward.....or you try to until someone makes an inside pass causing a big tangle of your pedals in other peoples wheels. So after getting off my bike and untangling things I was on my way again and the lead group of four were "gone baby gone". GREAT. Here we are 2 minutes into the race and I am in the chase group already.
Seeing that it was now or never for me I sat in on the chase group, got my brief rest in and then started the process of bridging across to the lead group by myself in the howling wind. They were far far ahead already but I HAD to at least try. Why not? What is the worst that can happen? You blow and get a good workout in? Ya, maybe but you have to try.
I knew I had the overall power to get there and I had to try as the race was unfolding in front of me and I didn't like that! I wanted to be a part of it like I was yesterday! So I gave it the longest and hardest effort with absolutely no break in order to bridge alone. And with every lap I was seeing the rewards of doing so as I was closing in on the lead group!! The crowd was super supportive in helping to motivate me even more by hooting, screaming and yelling. I was giving it all I had hands down and even started to think that I was going to be in trouble once I got there because I knew someone would (should!!) attack once reconnected with the group. But that never came to fruition because I only got as close as 7 seconds off the lead group and then started feeling the effects of my lonely efforts in the head wind. That left me with 2 laps to go and dieing on the inside. Completely turned inside out, body is trying to recover and I am now just simply trying to hold on to 5th without having a late race meltdown.
Success....I got my 5th and I should be happy with that especially since I know deep down inside that I gave it absolutely positively all I had today. Everything.
Here is a picture of the finishing straight and area
And the ever so popular Circle of Death in the background. You somehow wind yourself in there making nothing but a right hand turn and then wind yourself back out doing nothing but a left hand turn. Very dizzy-ing when you are on the rivet.
So the drama of today unfolded AFTER the race. My bike fell partway off the bike (trunk) rack on the freeway and was dragging behind the car. Luckily Dee Dee (who came in 2nd today!!!) was paying attention to the rear view mirror because Buck, her hubby and I, were just chatting it up as if all was wonderful. Meanwhile my bike is hanging on for dear life on the back of the car!
They have since bought a new rack, the bike is ok and because I didn't freak out at all as all of this was happening (and knowing what happened to me yesterday with someone running over my wheel and having a bent derailleur too prior to the race) I was deemed by Buck as either a really good actor OR someone that just doesn't let things work them up.
I can definitely get worked up but you just have to pick your battles and decide what your energy is going to be wasted on I guess. Plus, you do this long enough and you start to see things happening again and again and it comes as no surprise anymore!
Home tomorrow!
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