"race" being a relative term...but, race, I intended. So I installed new ceramic hub bearings in my Velomax Vista wheels this week, while visions of long breakaways danced in my head, along with the peloton bearing down on me 100M from the finish... the horror! (the fantasy!)
I registered on Thursday despite the forecast for rain "heavy at times" for Pelzer SC on Saturday. Bought a $9.49 clear vinyl rainsuit from Blackhawk and sported my new helmet (with visor, which is apparently now at least relatively acceptable after Lance wore one in the Tour of California) in on Friday... so I'm ready to roll. Saturday AM - Emily's leaving for Virginia for the day, so helped her get squared away, then tried to rush through getting myself ready. Not recommended, though I must say Cat 4 has much more advantageous start times than 5...rain was awful on the way down, and spent 15 min or so crawling around one wreck near Kings Mtn.
Got there 45 min to race time, and checked in, whereupon I learned that the 3s and 4s were going to be racing together - welcome to Cat 4! Basically dispensed with warmup, as it seemed like just another 1/2 hour in the rain. Got my gear on, pulled up to the start about 4-5 rows back, in the middle of the pack. 3 laps of a 15 mi course ahead... but Webster said last year that this was a course that would suit me, so I was hopeful... Fork Shoals is where I rode 5 min of the Cat 5 race in September last year before my derailleur blew up. Bright side - I did get a new bike after that...
At the start, 2 guys go about 500M up the road right away, and the peloton just rides along. I'm staying out of the wind and picking wheels that look good to follow. Then the spasticity starts - at completely random times the peloton would accelerate like mad for about 10-15 sec, then slow down. Maybe 10mi in we had "gruppo compacto" but the weird accelerations continued. Up the 2mi to the start finish I felt OK, though a little stressed at the top...
Through the start line, and into lap 2 - into a headwind, a gap developed - maybe 5 bike lengths - nothing to worry about, right? WRONG! the peloton pulled steadily away, and I flailed away in the back, trying to catch. No dice. Caught and rode with one guy the last 5 mi, then we quickly caught & dropped another, then dropped my companion on the last 1mi till the start finish.
As I went through the start line, the official said "one to go" and I just waved my hand across my neck - I was done. The guy I rode with for the last 5 mi or so rounded the turn and kept going... maybe he's just a better person than I am, but as far as I was concerned there just wasn't any point in continuing - it was raining solidly if not hard the whole time, I was soaked, though not particularly cold (until I stopped) but there was no way I was catching the peloton back. Wasn't even good for a solo workout.
I got in the truck, stowed my wet gear & dried off as best I could, and drove home... and the weather was even worse than the trip down.
Fun day!
Lessons: If you're tired and see ANY gap developing, the only way you're going to stay in the race is to give everything you've got left to close it, or you're done.
Also, I need better conditioning. We'll see if that helps make a difference - planning on next weekend at River Falls...
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