As I said, I was going to start my racing season this year earlier than I did last year. Picking a highly contested Superweek race as your first is not a smart thing to do, especially of you're new to the whole racing thing. Oh well.
My expectations for the race were not much. Due to my irregular training (2 days on, 3 days off...), my fitness was not where it should have been in order for me to compete, and I definitely was not interested in taking a risk of crashing this early in the year, so I was just hoping not to finish last and keep rubber side down. So after an four + hour drive down to Litchfield, a town next to Hillsboro where we had booked a hotel room, I was ready to dive into the bed and get my sleep on. Not before feasting on a burger at the Ruby Tuesday with the rest of the XXXers.
Waking up, breakfast........registering for the race, pinning bib numbers, mixing energy drinks, chatting with the wonderful cycling crowd, taking a lap around the town getting a taste of the infamous brick roads, lining up at the start line. For some reason I was not nervous at all, being surrounded by a number of familiar faces, joking around. We started with the sound of a whistle. The race began with two inclines (not really hills even though we call them that), that quickly broke up the field of 40-50 starters. After the second incline, I was at the back of the main pack, and had left at least 15 riders behind. I was riding smoothly....until we turned into the crosswinds. I was keeping up but barely maintaing contact with the group. The next turn was right into the headwind, and that was it for me. I felt pain in my lower back, and that's the way my body tells me....:"hey, you suck!" I was being passed by the people who got dropped on the inclines. The rest of the ride was basically trying to finish this - now ride - and possibly pass a few more people ahead of me. At the half point, I had three guys in my sight , but I misjudged one turning blind descent and almost ended up in the ditch. I unclipped and barely stayed upright sliding with my bike onto the edge of a narrow road. I was in the biggest gear, anticipating to hammer down the road, gaining all the speed from going downhill. Well, there was a short steep incline ahead and I ended up pushing my bike to the top. By now, I had lost additional 1-2 minutes, and got passed by 2 more people. Got back on my bike, and eventually passed those two guys, finishing thirtyFIRST.
Now, finishing thirtyFIRST was ok and definitely something to improve on. It is also better than 18 others who finished behind me, did not finish at all, or never showed up for the race (for no valid reason, but registered and took someone else's spot in the sold out race). I discussed Sat. what was worse -DNF or DFL, and not showing for such a great race that was organized so well, is definitely the worst.
Kudos for the town of Hillsboro and the organizers, it makes me wonder how come there aren't more small towns in the Midwest that are willing to put on cycling races. It's one day in a year to do and see something different, be it or not be it a bunch of people in lycra.
The bike had a good night sleep too. The celophane was all Erik's idea. No scrathes on the top tube from transport here.
