Winning as a Cat 3

Last Thursday night was my debut as a Cat 3 at the velodrome. I actually got the points to upgrade several weeks ago, maybe a month, but I have not been able to get to the track on a Thursday for a few weeks, meaning that I also hadn't raced for a while. On top of that, I've only raced 3 times this year, but I happened to take two 1st place and one 2nd in the omnium, resulting in the required points when adding in my carry over from last year.

In addition to just having scheduling conflicts for Thursday nights, I took a couple weeks recovery. I was getting burned out and my motivation was suffering. I have so much other stuff going on in my life (the typical work/family thing you get to do when you're 40), and I just wasn't getting to it. I tried to keep going even after realized I should take a break, but it only made it worse. I didn't realize it would make so much difference to take a break. Now I'm seriously motivated, and I didn't loose much fitness.

I also had the opportunity to think about what I want to spend my cycling time on. I've seen it said many places that in bike racing, there is no prize for who does the most work, just who crosses the line first. As many of my teammates and competitors know, I have hard time accepting that. I'm not very patient. I like to get out and speed things up and work my a** off. Well, there is one kind of race where that's what you've got to do. Time Trials. I also realized that I continue to love the velodrome. I have never, ever pushed myself as hard as I do at the track, that unbelievable effort that you somehow manage to muster to kick it just a tiny bit more on the final straight to nip someone or hold some one off. So there it is. From now on, I'm focusing my season on Time Trials and Track. I'm going to race Road Races because they're fun, but I'll probably race 35+, and I may skip Crits all together. I just don't like them that much.

So, back to the track. After all of the above revelations, I re-did my goals for the remainder of the year. One of the goals I set was to win one event as a Cat 3 at the track. Well, I accomplished that. The first event on Thursday was a 10 lap scratch race. At 6.5 laps to go, I jumped, figuring I'd get some one to come with me. I got almost 50 meters right away. A lap later I was still by myself, 50 meters ahead of the field. 5 laps to go. Ok, looks like it's time for a little 1500 meter pursuit. I paced myself, just below the point where I could feel my legs starting to fill with lactic acid, and settled in. At 1 lap to go, the field was down to about 20 meters, but I had saved just a little bit. I dug in, and I managed to hang on by about 1/2 a bike length for the win. Whoo hoo! I was psyched!

But, I failed to notice something that would become important later. All of my Cat 4 victories as well as that first scratch race had something in common. I tend to win by over powering the field. I had more endurance, more top end and/or better control of the sprinter's lane than the other riders. I didn't spend much time in the pack or working my way in and out of traffic. The next race was a miss and out. I got boxed in on the inside very early and I knew it was only a matter of time before I got trapped, and sure enough, I was 3rd eliminated. I didn't even break a sweat. But I did notice the tightness of the pack.

Next race was a 50 lap points race. That's the longest race I've done, but I wasn't worried about that. First sprint, I took 2nd (much better than I expected) and was feeling pretty good. I worked quite a bit in the 4 laps leading up to the second sprint to pull back a break, hoping that one of my team mates would be well positioned for the sprint as a result. Didn't work out that way and I just used a lot of energy. Then I had to dig deep again to get back on after the sprint. We were about half way to the third sprint when I happened. I was way up the banking in the north turn, working to get around the outside and move up. My front tire touched the back tire of the rider up track from me, and down I went. I was over half way up the track, going about 25-26 mph.

So, I rolled, slid and rolled. I got the bottom of the track and I knew I was ok. I also know Deana was in the stands and had just seen me crash, so I tried to sit up as quickly as possible. I felt like I did, but according to Deana, I took a little too long to sit up. So, long story short, no serious injuries, lots of splinters (even after 2 hours of picking) and track rash up my right shin and hip. I went to the ER at Fairview Southdale (the best care anywhere) the next morning to see if they wanted to pick the rest of the large splinters out, and to get a tetanus shot. The nurse I met with rides for Grand Performance, which was sweet. Nice to have someone look at my leg and say "if it was me, I'd just let them work their way out...". The doctor said the same thing. So, no picking, no cutting, just healing. It's amazing the way my body is already spitting out the splinters and healing the abrasions.

The hardest thing about having crashed is actually the mental factor. It wasn't anyone else's fault. That means it was mine. Does that mean people will not want to race with me? I'm I going to get a rep as a "bad bike handler"? I'm ready to go out and race again, but as I said earlier, I should have noticed what I was feeling like in the pack. I'm going to be going to all the structured training I can get to and racing every week if at all possible, just to get my comfort level up riding in a tight group. The difference between 3s and 4s so far isn't the fitness, it's the tactics. I have the legs and the lungs to win. I just need to get my comfort level up.

Timed events championship this weekend! I'm excited for the kilo and the 4000 meters. I'm gong to have to miss match sprints on Wednesday due to family commitments, but I'm planning on racing Thursday and Saturday.

Until I get around to writing again, keep the bike between you and the road!