ABD Fall Fling Pella Criterium, West Chicago, IL, September 24, 2011

Today was my 15th time racing at “The Pelladrome” during the 2011 season. Every Wednesday night From May through September, ABD puts on training criteriums at this flat, 0.80-mile, near-oval stretch of pavement next to the Pella Windows factory in West Chicago. I was able to make it out to those races 14 times this summer, and today it was “for real.”

ABD has upped the ante for the Fall Fling series this year, awarding a cool $2,000.00 to the team that scores the most number of points (based on results) during the 4-race series. Bicycle Heaven has the numbers and the talent to make us serious contenders for this windfall of cash.

So it all started today. I mixed it up in the Cat 4 race with two other Bicycle Heaven teammates, Scott and Spanish. Skies were cloudy, the rain held off, temps were moderate, and the wind was manageable. A whopping 19 riders took to the line for 40 minutes plus two laps of racing.

Allow me to go off topic for a moment. Seriously, only 19 riders? This is a great series with serious cash on the line, and the weather was just fine. I know that road racing numbers have been down this year, while CX is on the rise. But 19 riders was just sad. And it meant that only the top 10 spots would score points for the $2,000.00. Had the field had just one more person, the points would have gone 20 deep, and I actually would have contributed to the team effort. But more on that later.

I had an added incentive to avoid embarrassing myself today…right as we were rolling off of the line, my wife and awesome 6-month-old son arrived at the course to shout out their encouragement. They were joined shortly thereafter by Stephanie’s sister, and I had a nice little cheering section.

We took off at a brisk but easily manageable pace. Here and there some guys would drill the speed up a few notches to soften up the field, but the tempo always backed down shortly thereafter. There was a prime sprint early on, and I was in good position. But a couple guys really wanted that 10 dollar prize more than I did…I wound up for the sprint, but backed off when they got a small gap. I decided that I would rather keep myself fresh for the final sprint than waste myself for $10.

Shortly thereafter, a Team Mack rider took a flyer with one guy attached to his wheel. Scott was next to me and predicted “they’re not going anywhere.” Moments later, another Mack rider flew up the left side to bridge up and Scott changed his mind. “OK, now we have to go.” “Yes we do” was my reply, and we hit the gas and reeled them in.

Another prime sprint for $10 came and went. I halfheartedly hit the gas, but backed off when it became clear that I couldn’t close the gap.

About halfway through, I was up front with a xXx rider. He looked over and asked “do you have any teammates in the field?” “Yeah, I’ve got two guys.” He asked “do you want to try a breakaway?” I gamely responded “why not?” He stood up and hit the gas and I followed suit. I don’t know whether we ended up with any sort of gap, but we each took a pull before I realized that the field was nipping at our heels.

This xXx rider and I spent most of the race near the front. In fact, I don’t think that I was ever further back than 5th wheel position the whole time. At one point, xXx said lamented that “we’ve been up at the front the whole time…this probably means that we’re going to lose.” And it is true, I spent way too much time working at the front. I could have pulled off and let myself be swallowed by the bulk of the field, but on the other hand I wanted to be up at the front in case there were any breaks or primes to cover. And it was fun to hear my name called out by the announcer one time when I led the field through the start/finish. Hey, I’m easy to please.

The rest of the race passed pleasantly enough. Surges here and there, but nothing that I couldn’t cover and there were no serious threats. It was fun to see my wife and baby every time I came past, and I was feeling good enough that I was even able to smile at them a few times.

The pace went nuts with two to go, but as we came around with one to go, it settled down a bit. Guys were jockeying for position, taking a quick breather for the grand finale. On the backstretch is where things went crazy again. As we approached turn four, I was still in about 5th or position and giving it everything. I tried to shift down but quickly realized that I was already on my smallest cog. Crap. I stood up and smashed on the pedals, my face locked in a vicious rictus of pain, thinking “too many guys, I see too many guys in front of me.” I badly wanted a podium finish (top 5 would have done it), but in the end I had to settle for 12th. Which, as mentioned previously, put me just out of the points for the omnium.

The good news, however, was that Scott took 2nd and Spanish took 10th. In all, Bicycle Heaven had a great day…Patrick Fasse won the Cat 1/2, Andy Swims won the Cat 3 (in fact, we took 4 of the top 5 in the Cat 3), Rob Kelley won the Masters 40+ 1/2/3, Andy Kerr won the Masters 50+, Hal took 2nd and Mike took 4th in the Masters 40+ 4/5, and Karen Enockson made the podium in the Women’s 4. So, at the end of Stage 1 Bicycle Heaven was holding the lead in the omnium, with 104 points to ABD's 102.

Personally, though, it was a disappointing day. I badly wanted a podium finish, but just couldn’t make it happen. However, racing has definitely become more fun for me. There was a point in my racing career (OK, years and years and years of my racing career) where I would suffer like a dog, hoping to just hang onto the peloton and get a field finish. Hoping not to get blown off the back and pulled for being “out of contention.” But, thanks in large part to the ABD training crits, I feel like I have really improved my skills and can really feel like part of the race…mixing it up for primes, chasing down breakaways, actually being a part of the final sprint and not just dangling off the back (although that did happen a few times earlier this spring).

I can’t make tomorrow’s time trial, but will be at both the DuPage Tech Park Circuit Race next Saturday, and the grand finale in Wood Dale next Sunday. Two more races, two more chances to get points for the team. Stay tuned…

ABD Fall Fling Circuit Race, West Chicago, IL, October 2, 2010

I shouldn't have even bothered. Rolling terrain, a healthy dose of brutal winds, plus a pinch of impending illness made for a very short and painful day in the saddle.

The course today was right across the street from the "Pelladrome" in West Chicago. It was a 1.8 mile paved loop around what had been planned to be an office park. The Cat 4s were on tap to do 14 laps. The east and west ends of the course both featured a fair amount of uphill which in the absence of wind would have been manageable. But not today...

I hadn't pre-registered, so as the wind whipped around me on my walk over to registration the rational part of my mind said "back out while you still can." Perhaps I should have listened to that voice. But I laid my money down, got my number, and headed back to the car for a warm-up on the trainer. As I spun, clouds started to gather and the wind seemed to get worse.

After one warm-up lap out on the course I rolled to the line with 22 other riders. All the usual suspects were there. My nightmare began as soon as the whistle blew...I performed one of the most amateurish clip-ins of my racing career. For the life of me I just could not get that left cleat engaged in the pedal! I felt like a total goob as riders surged past me.

And surge they did. This field had no intention of hanging together to fight the wind...those at the front clearly intended to shatter what little peloton we could have had and turn this into a 25-mile strung-out drag race. After finally getting myself clipped in, and hauling a** to join up with the field, I could tell that this was not going to end well. My legs felt like two lumps of lead and my heart rate was already through the roof.

I soon found myself spit out the back of the main field, but fortunately I was not the only one. I was able to get in a four-man group with Beverly Bike, WDT, and a Purdue rider. Initially there was still hope that we could catch back on to the field, but with each passing moment that hope got further and further away. As did the field.

By now I was in agony. My lungs were burning, and with each gasp it was like breathing in liquid fire. All the while, my heart was firmly lodged somewhere right behind my uvula. We dropped the WDT rider, and picked up someone else, keeping our group at four. But then the uphill start/finish stretch was my downfall. I lost touch with my group, and found myself all alone out in the wind.

I rode another two laps to make for a tidy 7.5 mile "race." I was caught on the backstretch by the 40+ Cat 4/5 field that had been started right behind the Cat 4 field. And on the start/finish stretch I looked behind me and saw the pace car breathing down my neck. As I rode past the official at a mere 22 minutes into the race I made the imaginary slash across my neck and stated "I'm done." As I rode away I heard them announcing over the loudspeaker that 483 had dropped out. Thank you everyone, I suck.

What an ignominious end to the season.

ABD Fall Fling “Pelladrome” Criterium, West Chicago, IL, September 25, 2010

Today marked the 6^th time that I raced at the “Pelladrome” this year. I had been able to make it out for five of the ABD Wednesday Night Training Crits, but today the race actually counted for something.

With mostly cloudy skies and temps in the low 60s, I actually started to overheat while warming up on the trainer. First off was the wind vest, then went the arm warmers.More clouds started to roll in, and after one warm-up lap on the course I zipped back to the car to pull back on the arm warmers. My lungs felt tight and my legs felt heavy, so I was a bit pessimistic about how the day was going to go.

As the sole WFR rider, I rolled to the line with about 40 other guys. There was good representation from ABD, xXx, Mack, Project 5, and Beverly Bike/Vee-Pak. The race was fast right from the whistle, and we instantly strung out. For the few two laps I was sitting comfortably in 10^th wheel position. I was feeling good…the lungs had cleared out and my legs were doing everything I asked them to. There was a bit of a breeze on the backstretch, but I was able to stay protected.

I used the next few laps to improve my position. For the third and fourth laps I sat 8^th wheel, and for the fifth and sixth laps I had moved up to 6^th wheel. Suddenly, there was a vicious attack from Beverly Bike and Mack. No longer strung out, we were riding 3 to 4 across to reel them back in. At about 10 minutes in, the sole PACT rider veered from right to left without even looking, coming mere inches from taking out my front wheel. I curse loudly, and other riders jeer his poor move, shouting “Rider of the Year!”

At about 20 minutes in there were a few more attacks, forcing the pace up even higher. It was at this point that my lungs started to tighten up, but I just held on and tried to stay relaxed. The attacks never amounted to anything. Shortly thereafter, a prime lap was called for a set of handlebars, keeping the pace high. After the prime sprint, the pace mellowed out a bit, and on the backstretch I moved up the right side of the field to get back into the top ten.

At 33 minutes in I found myself in 5^th wheel position. A Beverly Bike rider launched a sole attack along the start/finish stretch, and at first no one reacted. Then a voice from behind, like Obi Wan speaking to Luke on Dagobah, said “if we don’t go, he’s going to stay away.” OK, if you insist. Those of us at the front stepped on the gas and by the backstretch we had reeled him in.

Then started a series of sketchy moves. A few of the riders up front must have been hallucinating that there were in the Tour de France, because a line of riders started snake and back across the road for no apparent reason. I hung back and played it safe, sitting somewhere around 15^th wheel. A Mack rider to the right of me said “this is why there are so many crashes in Cat 4 races.” Amen, brother.
When the bell lap came around, I was sitting back in about 20^th position, but used the early part of the lap to move up into the top ten again. The final surge came about halfway through the backstretch, and as usual I started to lose ground. I put my head down and hammered for all I was worth, picking off a few riders here and there in the process. I came across the line almost neck and neck with a WDT rider, and I thought that I pipped him at the line. However, the official results placed him one ahead of me. When the dust settled, I had taken 19^th out of 27 finishers. Which is nothing spectacular, but way better than I could have hoped for, considering how I felt during the warmup.

Hopefully the weather is good next weekend. I plan to race the Fall Fling Circuit Race, which could be my last road race of 2010. Thanks for reading!

ABD Training Crits, June 9, West Chicago, IL

After a three week absence from the Pelladrome, it was great to be back for another Wednesday night of racing, despite the strong winds that made the backstretch a challenge. The evening was warm and sunny, with nary a cloud in the sky. About 35 riders showed up to duke it out, including WFR teammates Jason and John.

The format was same as weeks prior. The first race was a 15 minute/8 lap race for the newbies (and a warmup for the veterans). The second was a 25 minute/13 lap pursuit race, and the third was a 20 lap points race. Not counting the first race, that accounts for about 27 miles of racing…not bad training at all in the middle of the week. Cupcake primes were plentiful to make sure that the pace stayed hot.

The first race passed pleasantly enough. After the newbies got underway, we slowly rolled out. The pace was relaxed until about the 4^th or 5^th lap, at which point we pushed pretty hard to work the kinks out of the legs. During the surge I kept myself near the front, in about 5^th wheel. After that surge, the pace slowed to a crawl again and we rode out the remainder of the “race” together.

As soon as the whistle blew to start the first race, John Mahr grabbed a moment of glory and took a flyer off the front. A few riders gave chase, but he stayed away for most of the first lap. I found myself in the unenviable position of leading into the wind for a couple of the early laps. Sometimes it is fun to be the “tip of the spear,” but into a stiff wind…not so much. A cupcake prime was called on the 4^th lap, and with that the preliminary niceties were over. Psimet had a good presence tonight, and on this 4^th lap they surged en masse to the front of the field and set a blistering pace. My legs were taking a while to come around underneath me, and I had to hang on for dear life. I figured that they would spend a few laps trying to separate the wheat from the chaff and then would relax the pace a bit, but they never let up. Another sugar-laden prime was called on the 10^th lap, and this is where I started to come unglued. After the prime spring, coming out of Turn One the front of the field surged even more and I waved goodbye as they gained a decent gap on me. On the backstretch, I stood up and jammed on the pedals, desperately hoping that I could gain ground as they slowed down in to the headwind, but I just couldn’t close the gap. I rode out the remaining laps by myself and rolled meekly across the line.

I rolled back to the car to grab a fresh bottle. Someone had a radio on and tuned in to the Hawks/Flyers game. The game was scoreless as we were called back to the line for race number three.

The points race started out pretty mellow, but it didn’t take long to ramp up to full speed. I found myself behind Illinois State Champion Jessi Prinner and figured that I should stay glued to her wheel as long as possible. I hung out toward the back of the for the first 10 laps, conserving as much energy as possible and hanging on throughout the points and prime sprints. About midway through the race, as we zipped past the start/finish, it was announced that the Hawks were tied 1-1 with the Flyers.

I stayed within the front 5-10 riders for most of the remainder of the race. With about 5 laps to go, my calves started to feel like they could cramp up at any moment, which is a less than pleasant feeling. I gulped some Gatorade and hoped for the best. As we entered the backstretch with two laps to go, I found myself in 2^nd wheel position. Halfway down the stretch, the lead rider pulled aside. I got hit with the wind and it was like getting slapped in the face. My legs were completely sapped and rather than taking the pull I drifted left to let the field come through. The rider right behind me chastised me, saying “take a pull, there are only 2 laps to go…it isn’t going to kill you!” I’ll admit that he was right, and I was ashamed of my cop-out. I had nothing left, however, and was still on the verge of cramping. I figured it was better to just get out of the way than force everyone to maneuver around me as I dragged my lead anchor behind me. I reinserted myself somewhere midway through the field and hung on. Jason appeared out of nowhere and moved himself up toward the front of the field. It all fell apart for me, as it usually does, during the bell lap. Again, the main surge occurred right out of Turn One, and the just rode away from me, despite my best efforts to hang on. I rolled in alone, closing out another fine night of racing at the Pelladrome. A Stanley Cup victory for the Blackhawks just a few hours later put the cherry on top of the evening.

All in all, the racing this evening was a lot cleaner than it was three weeks ago. Only once did I have a rider drift into me, and a simple “whoa, whoa, whoa” was enough to make him realize the error of his ways. I’m glad to hear that these races will be continuing throughout the summer, and I look forward to attending as many as possible Thank you ABD and Pella!

ABD Training Crits, May 19, West Chicago, IL

Kudos to ABD for putting on another great mid-week evening of racing, and to Pella for allowing us to spend another night zipping around the “Pelladrome.” It was a beautiful evening for turning the pedals in anger…temps were in the low 70s to high 60s, with gentle breezes. After taking 6 warm-up laps and downing half of a Clif Bar, I rolled to the line with about 35-40 riders. Kev and Chris had other commitments tonight, so Jason and I were the only WFR riders. Most of the field was was in the “B” (Cat 4/5) group, with about 8-10 “A” (Cat 1/2/3) riders.

The first race was 8 laps. The experienced riders let the newbie group get a gap on us before we started rolling up to speed. This first race of the night is really a race in name only. Everyone uses it mostly as a warm-up, and it wasn’t until the last few laps that we started to put the hammer down a little bit. I probably pushed a bit too hard on this warm-up race, but it felt good to be sitting right at the front and putting in a good effort. I led into the windy stretches on the 4th lap, and again on the last lap. When the final sprint came I just rode it in.

After a cool-down lap, it was right back to the line again for the 2nd race of the evening. This one was a 25 minute race with numerous primes for homemade brownies thrown in. The B group was given about and half-lap start before the A’s were unleashed to chase us down, which they did in pretty short order. Until that point, however, any “brownie primes” were solely for the B’s. Jason went for one of these primes, but was narrowly pipped at the line. The pace was fast, but I felt good. The burning lungs that had plagued me at the Monsters of the Midway Criterium were a thing of the past, my heart rate was well under control, and my legs were having no problem keeping up with the surges.

I do have to own up to making one stupid decision. Toward the end of the race, we came around the start/finish and the official was ringing the bell. As I zipped past I could have sworn I heard him saying “bell lap, bell lap.” The pace quickened, and I moved myself toward the front. As we came into the finishing stretch, there were about 5 guys ahead of me standing and mashing on the pedals. So, I did likewise, coming across the line in 6th place. However, as I sped past the official he announced “two to go, two to go.” Aw, crap…apparently I need to have my hearing checked! The pace intensified yet again, but I was able to hang on for those final two laps and finish with the field.

The third race was a 20 lap “points” contest with a sprint every 4 laps. As if that didn’t keep the pace hot enough, it seemed that every other lap was a prime lap (for water bottles, brownies, and t-shirts). And make no mistake, this was a crazy fast race. Still, my heart and lungs felt good, and I could even manage somewhat of a normal conversation. Early on in the race, the Bicycle Heaven rider who I had worked with for a brief stretch during the Leland Kermesse (sorry, I haven’t yet caught your name!) was on my wheel and called out “Hey Pinchy, you left me at Leland and broke my heart!” We chatted briefly about how brutal that race had been. I owned up to quitting after one lap, whereas he had toughed it out through the gale-force winds for all four laps, mostly by himself. That takes a lot of strength, both physical and mental.

Unfortunately, there was a lot of sketchy riding in this 3rd race. I know these are training crits, but there are still too many experienced riders making moves without looking, and not holding a straight line even on long, straight sections. One particular rider continuously bobs and weaves like a boxer in a prizefight.

The scariest moment of the night came about half-way through. On the stretch right before the start/finish straightaway, a rider in a red kit was on the far right and going backwards. Just as I was passing him, a xXx starts to dive to the right, directly into my path. I hit the gas and narrowly squeaked through, but it could have been ugly. A short time later, an ABD rider made a similar move. As he started diving into me I screamed “on your right, on your right!” Followed by a rather blasphemous bit of profanity.

During the final lap, I moved up the left side of the field and inserted myself into the top 5. I managed to stay there almost all the way to the final sprint, but some riders started to come around me. When we hit the final straightaway I tried to shift down one more cog, but there was no where left to go on the cassette. I stood up and accelerated to a full sprint, picking off a few riders here and there and ending up (I think) somewhere within the top 10.

It appears that the good folks at Pella are going to keep letting us use their facility, and ABD is going to keep organizing these races throughout the summer. This is great news for those of us who are simply unable to make it to the Tuesday night crits in Matteson. A huge “thank you” in advance to both organizations for making this happen!

ABD Training Crits Week 2, West Chicago, IL, May 5, 2010

Having had to miss the first of four weeks of training crits put on by ABD at the West Chicago “Pelladrome,” I was excited about rolling to the line for the 2nd week of racing. Kev had been the sole WFR representative the week before and had given a “thumbs up” to the experience. I wasn’t so excited, however, about the gusting winds, but hoped that the field would be large enough to hide in.

The course is the same venue used last year for the first of the “Fall Fling” races. It is next to the Pella factory in West Chicago (hence the “Pelladrome” designation). With the exception of one 90-degree turn right after the start/finish, the rest of the course is a large, 0.8 mile oval with smooth pavement.

After pinning my number and downing half of a Clif Bar, I rolled off for a few warm-up laps. In hindsight, I should have skipped this step. Fighting the wind on the backstretch, even at a warm-up pace and in the small chainring, took just a little bit out of the legs that I could have put to better use later in the evening . Plus, the first race turned out to be nothing more than a relatively easy 15-minute warmup anyway.

Race One, a 15 minute / 6 lap race, was solely for the benefit of the beginners. They were whistled off and the rest of us, acting as “pack fodder,” followed at a 20-second interval. The pace was mellow so as to avoid overtaking the newbies, and was a good opportunity to warm up the legs some more while being able to hide a bit from the wind. Some guys started to push the pace a bit during the second half of the race, and got a little distance on the field, but I had no intention of getting gassed too early in the headwind.

Race Two, a 25-minute / 13 lap race, was where the real action began. I was joined at the line by fellow WFR rider Jason R. The “A” group of about 12 to 15 Cat 1/2/3 riders were whistled off, and then the 30 or so “B” riders (the Cat 4/5 group) was unleashed 20 seconds later. Kev mentioned that last week there was an immediate jump by some riders to bridge up to the A group, but it didn’t happen this week. The field was pretty content to ride out the first few laps at a manageable pace. There were some surges here and there, but no real attacks. I kept myself in the front 5-10 riders at all times. A “cookie prime” was called as we came around for lap 6. I did not plan on gassing myself for a Costco cookie, so I just sat in with the field. Shortly after turning out of the headwind, a Psimet rider and an ABD rider took off to contest the sprint, and from my vantage point in the field it appeared that Psimet took it. The duo showed no signs of wanting to re-integrate with the field, and we spent the next two laps chasing them down. Another prime lap was called on lap 9, and again on lap 11. I hung on with the surges and kept myself safe from the wind within the field.

On the back stretch of the bell lap, I was sitting comfortably in about 6th position. I then felt a hand bump into my right hindquarters…a rider wearing an “Australia” jersey was trying to sneak into a hole that really wasn’t there. The end result was that I got pushed out into the wind for the whole of the backstretch, sapping needed energy that I could have used for the sprint. As we came around for the sprint, I had no jump whatsoever. I gave what I could, and spotted Jason flying around my left side for his 5th place finish. I probably rolled in somewhere within the top 10. All in all, not too bad.

After a cool-down lap I rolled back to the car, grabbed a fresh bottle and downed the 2nd half of that Clif Bar. Then it was back to the line.

Race Three was a 12 lap race with a sprint on every 4th lap. Everyone was whistled off at the same time, and the pace was pretty hot from the get-go. Again, I worked pretty hard to keep myself within the front quarter of the field, up with the A riders. The biggest surges were out of turn one, as we were exposed to the crosswind. As long as you could stay with that surge, you could keep yourself protected once you turned into the headwind.

A prime was called as soon as we came around for the second lap, and again I had no intention of contesting this. On the backstretch I got pushed to the outside by a rider in a full pro team kit. I instantly hit the gas and flew back around him and inserted myself into the front of the field. I refuse to get pushed aside by a rider who is not only wearing the full kit of a pro team that hasn’t even existed for four years, but who was wearing a fanny pack during the race!

To make a long story short, I hung with lead group for first 7 laps, then blew up on the backstretch. I watched helplessly as the front of the field rode away from me as I silently pleaded with my legs to bridge back up to them. It just wasn’t in the cards this evening. I found myself working with an ABD rider and one of the A group riders. With 4 laps to go we caught up with Jason and continued to work together. With 3 to go, I pulled our group along for the entire lap …ABD steadfastly hung onto my wheel and didn’t make any attempt to relieve me, even when I drifted right to let him come around. As we came around with 2 to go, Jason put me out of my misery and sprinted to the front…I grabbed onto his wheel, with ABD still resolutely glued to mine. Jason led the entire lap, and then we were down to the bell lap. ABD finally took the lead on the backstretch, and I hid from the wind as best as I could. The pace ramped up coming out of turn 3, and it was every man for himself. As I watched Jason and ABD hurl themselves toward the line, I pushed as hard as I could to fend off the riders coming up behind me.

In short, it was good to get in some solid mid-week racing, now that I am unable to make it down to the Matteson Tuesday Night Crits. This series is “confirmed” through May 19, but let’s hope that they can keep it going all summer

ABD Fall Fling Criterium, West Chicago, IL, September 26, 2009

I didn't have high hopes for today. I hadn't raced in over a month (since Downers Grove), and being employed again had put a serious crimp in my training time. Some recent training rides had been less than pleasant...flat legs, burning lungs, etc. Still, having some end-of-season races so close to home was too good to pass up.

So, with cloudy skies and temps in the low 70s, I rolled to the line with 53 other riders. I was the sole Wheel Fast Racing representative...some of the other guys were doing a mountain bike race up in Kettle Moraine, and Kev didn't even know about the race. On the plus side, I had a huge cheering section...my wife, her parents, both of her siblings and their respective families.

The course was next to the Pella factory in West Chicago...with the exception of one 90-degree turn, the rest of the course was a large, 0.8 mile oval. Great pavement and wide turns meant that this would be a drag-race from start to finish.

My Garmin has been on the fritz lately, so I was racing blind. However, the pace was manageable, and my legs and lungs felt great. Attacks were launched here and there, but nothing stayed away. There was some squirelliness, but on the whole everyone was riding smart.

10 minutes in and a prime lap for some tires was called. The pace quickened, and I let myself fall back in the field, having no desire to contest the sprint. Afterward, I moved back up through the field. As usual, my plan was to stay near the front, but not at the front. The winds weren't bad, but enough that I wanted to stay within the safety of the field and keep my nose out of the wind.

20 minutes in and I still felt great. My heart rate was low, my lungs were clear, and the legs felt fresh. I would lose some position in the field, then regain it. I tried my best to stay within the top 10-15 riders. We crossed the 30-minute mark, and I was still feeling good. It was great to have so many people cheering so loudly for me each time we came around Turn 1.

With 3 laps to go, I suddenly found myself at the tail end of the field. In my head I heard Fred Willard saying "hey, wha' happened?" After Turn 2 I flew up the left side of the field and inserted myself back in the top 10. With 2 laps to go the pace really got hot. I dropped some position, but held on comfortably in the field.

Then came the bell lap. I was too far back for my liking, so as soon as we crossed the start/finish I started jamming to gain some ground. In hindsight, I should have held back just a little longer. After Turn 2 my legs suddenly turned to lead and I was dismayed to see masses of riders surging on either side of me. I tried to shift down and realized that there was nowhere else on the cog to go. I pushed as hard as I could all the way to the line for a 39th place finish out of 51 finishers.

So, it was a disappointing finish after a great race. Still, there was a lot to be happy about...after a month away from racing I felt comfortable in the field, my body cooperated, and I was able to put in a good showing for my fans. All in all, it was a good end to the season. See you next year!