Stick a fork in me. I’m done.
This has been a fun year. There have been a number of challenges and a few successes. I’ve got one more challenge to go, but as for racing… I’m done.
Saturday was my last race of the year at the POA Cycling Fall Extravaganza. I’d like to say it was one of my best performances of the year, but I’m afraid it was just a repeat of most all my other attempts in 2009. I finished with a 14th place out of 20 riders.
The venue was Brookwood Church in Simpsonville. I loved the course. Each of the 26 laps we raced were just under .7 miles long. It was more like a large oval with one tricky section – a chicane just before a long climb to the finish. That quick left – right combination constituted the only turns on the course.
We averaged around 23.5 mph for the 45 minute race. Our highest average speed was around 25 on one of the early laps. Really, it wasn’t that bad IF you just got in the peloton and behaved yourself.
I did for quite a while. 20 minutes to be exact. Starting out I was a little nervous about the chicane. I kept making sure I was near the front as we entered that section. Finally, about 5 laps in I was feeling more comfortable and started trying to see how I could use the turns to my advantage.
Then a rider went off the front. He formed a pretty good gap. You could see him start up the climb to the finish as we were nearing the turns. I could tell the group was being controlled by a masters rider who was mixed in with us. He didn’t seem to want to do anything and I wondered if the two were together.
There was a contingent of Virginia riders on hand. The masters guy was one of them and he did pretty well in his group – as a matter of fact, all the Virginia riders did well. We local riders were hoping to buck the trend.
At that point I realized that there were just over 20 minutes left. If I could get away from the group and hook up with the rider away, then maybe the peloton would be disorganized enough to let us get away. It would be tough, but if it didn’t work out there might be time to recover and hang in to the end.
It took me a lap to catch him. We started to work together a little – though I was doing more of the work. Then Blair called for a prime. We stayed together until we were nearing the line for the prize. I was in no mood to expend any energy I didn’t have to, so I let him have it.
We tried to stay up there, but the prime had ratcheted up the field and we couldn’t hold the gap in the wind that had started up. We were doomed to get pulled back into the field. However, there was still time.
I settled back in and attempted to recover. My heart just wasn’t in it. It wasn’t that I felt bad. It wasn’t that I was in a bad position. I just didn’t have the fire. I seemed detached from myself and the bike. I was ready for the race to end.
Then with five laps to go there were three riders away from us. We started to work to bring them back. I figured we would catch them and the group of 10 or so riders I was with would be the finishing group. I tried to stay out of the wind and use the least amount of energy possible.
The group grew disorganized as no one seemed to want to take the front. I wasn’t going to. I had done my time earlier. If I went up front I would be crispy toast!
Then with three laps to go it happened – something that has never happened to me before. My contact shifted in my eye. Best I can figure, my eye was drying out from the wind and then the wind bubbled my contact and I couldn’t see out of my right eye.
It wouldn’t be so bad if the contact had come out completely. My eyes aren’t that bad and I can get along fine with just one contact in. However, in this case the contact was obstructing my vision and I couldn’t see anything to the right of me.
This got kind of scary when we entered the chicane. For the next lap I was trying to roll my eyes around in hopes that I could move the contact back into position. However, my eyes were dry and it was stuck.
Finally I gave up. I looked up and realized that I got caught out of the chase. There were now two riders away and a small chase group after them. Then there was my larger group. If I stood any chance at all, I was going to have to get in that chase group.
All I knew to do was to put the pedal down and go. I actually made some headway and thought I might make it onto the rear of the chase group before the finish. However, they must have picked it up for the final lap and I was stuck out there pretty much by myself.
One last time through the chicane and two riders moved up to me and past me. I got on their wheels and tried to conserve with hopes of getting at least one of them at the line. Unfortunately, that is how we finished.
I got off the course and rode over to my family. As I did so I reached up to adjust my contact, but before I could get to it it fell out. Why couldn’t it have done that sooner!
As usual, looking back I realize that my bridge up to the lone rider halfway through the race was probably not wise. I was grateful that even after that attempt I was able to get back in the field and be in a position to finish. Had I not gotten caught out on the chase, I might have gotten a top ten.
All I know is that right now, I don’t want to race anymore. No, not that I don’t ever want to race again. I’m just ready for a break. I’m sure before next season rolls around I’ll be ready to get back at it.
For now, stick a fork in me. I’m done.
Tags: Fall Extravaganza, POA Cycling
Ditto.