Summit Criterium - Dakota County Technical College


It was hot, 91 when we started the race, winds were moving out of the South East steady at 18mph with gusts at 29mph. Each lap was about 1.2 miles and it was an eight lap crit for the beginners. This is my first road race that I have ever been in so I wasn't sure quite what to expect. I took some warm up laps with a guy(we'll call him M) from my class earlier in the evening after we got through registration and our numbers pinned on and then right before the race we were allowed to take another set of warm ups. I should have stopped after the first of these right before the race.

Immediately after we got to the line after those two laps the official ran through the rules and we were off. Since we pulled up to the back of the pack at the line we were in the back right after the start. My strategy was to finish this race, that was it, even if it was DFL(Dead Fricken Last) but was hoping I wouldn't be last. I followed with the group pretty easily near the back for the first 2 laps but was pretty tired and thirsty. I should have brought a water bottle with but I was new to this and dumb. Lap 3 started to spread out a few off the back and I was one of them. I was yo-yoing to stay on but kept getting gaps with people in front of me. Lap 4 I fell apart. I just wanted to pull of the course, I had a side ache from not enough water, three of us were a bit off the back of the group and they were pulling away.

There was a coach following behind the group and sat in behind us three, he urged us to work together and we started to a bit. M, the guy I took warm ups with was with me along with another guy we will call B. I was still a little mentally out of it at this point and just wanted to pull off, my side ache killed and I felt like I was done. Three laps to go. That is encouraging, I can't pull off after the halfway point. So M, B, and I worked a little better to get going. I tucked in behind M and B was behind me. M took a pull for about 20 seconds and I pulled after that but B wasn't really working with us for some reason. I am not sure if he just didn't have the legs or lungs or if he was just mentally out of it too.

Two laps to go. We were still trying to bring B with us and I was starting to think it was a mistake working with him. We were sitting up and waiting at times for him but I took a long pull out of the slight incline and out of the headwind and pushed it had up to the line, one lap to go, the bell rings, we are all still together and M and I are still pulling. I take a pull and push it again, I did't look to far back but see that M is on my wheel, he takes a pull into the headwind, then I take a pull, B gets back into our group but beat him through the corners and M stretched it out to the line. I am about a wheel in front of B and two bikes back from M about 100 meters to the line, I floor it. I catch M and pass him only taking him by about a wheel. Not sure how far back B was but he finished back from M.

I felt fine after the race and it was a good learning experience. Some things I would do differently if I could: 1) Bring water on the race, 2) stay in the pack at all costs, 3) lose some weight, 4) pre ride slower and longer, 5) push it harder, felt like I still had a lot to give at the end.

Until next time!
-pete

Labels: bike, racing, spbrc