Recapturing the Vibe.

this past sunday was the first race, in a sense, of the season for me. i say that because it wasn't a sanctioned event. it was just a well organized open practice race put on by one of the larger local clubs in san diego.
in some ways these are better than sanctioned events in that there are typically some very fast elite level riders in the field to contrast one's self against.
obviously this wasn't something i was really looking forward to from a results perspective, but i knew it would help to simply get out there and ride around at race pace in a big pack.
given what i had diagnosed as a less than ideal level of fitness on my part, i honestly thought i was in for a short day. my expectations, judging by the ass-kicking i received during my two previous group rides, were that i would probably hang in for a few laps then proceed to get smoked and spit out the back end of the pack in quick fashion. this didn't happen, though, as it would turn out. i was lucky enough to get a good warm-up in and felt confident while waiting for the start. for short races like these, the warm-up is often the most important thing you do as it sets the tone for the rest of your day.

once we were given the signal to roll off, the sights and sounds that make this sport what it is created that euphoric sensory overload brought on by the the unmistakable sound of 50 riders clicking into their pedals and heading off into battle, the clunking of gears as the group gets up to speed, and the whirring of 100 tires and wheels cutting through the wind, followed closely by the relief of those pre-race jitters escaping the gut, letting you get down to business.

after a few laps of yo-yo'ing off the back of the pack, it all began to come back to me. the strategy; the importance of searching the pack for the strongest riders and, more importantly, the sketchy ones. avoid the slow, skittish guys, and stick like glue to the fast ones. stay in the draft. don't waste any more energy than you have to. don't be a hero. that is, unless the opportunity arises. in which case, by all means.

as the race progressed, i just felt better and better. this was a massive confidence booster for me. up to this point in my training, i wasn't sure of my own ability to hang in competently with a group. fortunately, there were no close calls, no tactical or positioning blunders that would cause me to have to work harder than i wanted. anytime i was rotated to the front of the group, i spent as little time as possible pulling. that mental roadblock seemed significantly smaller now, and i was very confident that i could ride with the fast guys in the pack.
the goal, now that i knew i'd make it to the end, was to mix it up a little and maybe even make a bit of a difference. i knew i wasn't going to beat the big, fast guys to the line in a sprint. that has never been my strong suit anyway, so if i was to have any chance of doing anything noteworthy, i'd need to have great timing.

eh..turns out i didn't.

over the course of the race, there were several breakaways that were all either snuffed out or which simply came back to the group as they eventually ran out of gas. but with two laps remaining, a small group of four that had gotten away a few laps prior was still dangling off the front with no effort being made to pull them back in.
well, like i said, i wanted to make a difference and i figured this was my chance with about 3 minutes left in the race. no one else was going after these guys, so i did. out of the saddle, in the drops, i set out to catch the break.
and had i just waited another 30 seconds instead of trying to be a hero and stirring up the hornets nest, i wouldn't have wasted all that energy being caught with one lap remaining. hey, it was something. at least i tried.

as i entered the front straight and got swallowed up by the charging group, i made an all-out effort to wedge myself back into the front portion of the pack. they were absolutely flying now, but i wanted to at least save a top ten finish. and in order to have any chance of that, i had to light the afterburners just to stay close.
i don't remember much of the final lap except that it was painful and that there was no way i was going to be in any condition to follow the the sprint, let alone contest it. not only were the big, fast guys still big and fast, but i was BEAT. and once the final move was made for the line i just said 'see ya' and watched them speed away.
i rolled in nice and easy for a top ten finish. just what i asked for. and along with it comes a new level of confidence and the all-important knowledge that i can still do this and not look so bad doing it.

tell you what, though.. three weeks from now, that move sticks and i win the race =)