Finally, a rare race appearance and something to blog about.

I stopped scouring the road sides for goodies this Tuesday and made my way to the Washington Blvd. oval. It’s been several years since I’ve been able to get to the oval for a crit night. Last year I did two time trials there, but that was all.

I have a love/hate relationship with crits. I love that if I ride smart, I can do well. I hate that even if I ride smart for 45 minutes, I can blow it all in the last 45 seconds. I love that I can hide my weakness in climbing. I hate it if I lose the sprint. It goes on and on…

I went there with a “plan” and my goal was to ride the “plan” – ride smart, stay out of the wind, wait ‘til the end, be patient, sprint hard. I rode the “plan!”

The race was 35 laps – the first 5 were neutral. Since I haven’t been there, I only recognized a few faces. I didn’t know who to watch or follow so I was just watching everyone. The best way to do that is from the back of the pack. I was able to work my way up when I wanted to, but for the most part I tried to keep a low profile. To some, this might not be the most honorable strategy, but it was “the plan.” One of the riders I know is a Sharon, one of the faster women racers who mixes it up with the guys at times. She is not a good wheel to follow. She’s about 4 ft tall and rides in the drops all the time. The only person harder to draft is Dirty Mike (aka “Sliver”). The laps ticked by. There were the usual attempts at breaks. I tell my self “don’t worry, it won’t stick, they never do...” I talk to my self a lot during a crit. My biggest battle is sometimes my own lack of confidence. I tell my self, “you can do it, you can hang in at this speed, just be patient.…” There were a number of primes. I tell my self “Stay focused, don’t be tempted by the cookie prime, wait, be patient…” With about nine laps to go, I try to start positioning myself. Five laps to go, move up some more, be patient, look for the strong guys or a team train to follow. Two to go, you can do it don’t get jumpy, be patient….

Here come the last 45 seconds. I find myself on the inside about 10 places back. This is not where I want to be. I make sure I’m in the right gear for the speed. People start passing on the outside in turn 3. I hold my line on the inside. Coming out of turn 4, the guys in front are already sprinting and I’ve got some people in front of me. A lane opens up on the inside and I launch. By that time, I’m almost in mid pack, but I’ve got a clear lane and I’m coming around people. I’m watching everyone over to my right as they spread across the width of the track. I end up crossing the line 5th, with all five riders are within two bike lengths spread.

What did I learn? I felt good the whole race. My fitness isn’t coming along too bad. I’ve still got some snap in the legs. I can still ride in a pack. I love sprinting! I’ve got to do some more if this.