Mostly sunny skies and warm temps greeted the large "A" and "B" fields that assembled at the line at Matteson tonight. There was a bit of a headwind along the start/finish straightway...just enough to be a hassle. Kev was my sole WFR teammate, along with about 25 other "A" riders.
The first 15k race was fast right from the whistle. My goal was to sit in and keep myself fresh for the second race. Attacks went off here and there and were shut down. I stayed away from the front of the field and kept my nose out of the wind. With one lap to go the sprinters led the charge and I rode in with the field.
The second race was 25k. The pace started off relatively mellow, but it didn't take long for the attacks to begin. Despite the blistering pace, my legs, lungs, and heart were all feeling good, and I took a good pull at the front early on. Midway through, Kev came up on my right. I asked how he was doing, to which he responded "I feel like I'm going to throw up, but other than that..." OK, then. Apparently his noontime cinnamon roll hadn't been the best pre-race fueling option. Fortunately, this passed and he hung on with the field for the rest of the race. There were a few random surges late in the race that had me questioning whether or not I would get popped, but I held on and finished with the field again.
The third and final race was another 15k, and this one hurt. After one relatively slow lap, the pace just exploded. The 4th, 5th, and 6th laps were an exercise in sheer suffering. A couple riders escaped off the front, and a chase group of about 8 riders went hunting for them. I badly wanted to be a part of this chase, so I stood up, jammed on the pedals, and "dug deep into my suitcase of courage" to catch onto the back of the chase. However, no sooner did I catch on than the pace accelerated and I got popped again. I lost a little ground, then stood up and sprinted and caught a wheel. Yet again, the pace surged again and I went off the back. Argh. For the third time, I gritted my teeth and bridged up to the chase group. Finally, the break was caught and the pace eased up. The remainder of the race was fast but manageable as I hung on with the lead group of about 10 riders. I looked back after Turn 1 of the final lap and didn't see the rest of the field anywhere close. I had no legs left for the sprint, so I ended up riding in by myself somewhere between the lead group and the rest of the pack.
All in all, it was a pretty good evening of racing. I was able to hang with Cat 2s and 3s fresh off of Superweek and Elk Grove. Next up is the Masters 35+ 4/5 race in Downers Grove.
On a bittersweet note, however, this will be my last appearance at the Tuesday night races this year. I had interviewed for a job on Monday and got called downtown for a 2nd interview on Wednesday...at which point I was offered, and accepted, an associate attorney position in Woodstock. I start on Monday, at which point more than 5 months of unemployment will come to an end. I have enjoyed my "summer vacation" of riding and racing, but will be glad to get back to work.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
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