There is this nagging feeling that tries to rise in my mind. It is a message from inside my head that I should be upset and disappointed. However, it keeps getting obliterated by the smile on my face!

Yes, today was my first race of the 2010 season. I honestly did not know what to think when rolled to the line. This race was going to be a “let’s see what happens” kind of an event. Tebbetts and I waited while all the announcements were made. There was a lot of chatter around us, but we were pretty quiet.

It had already been an awesome day for the POA Cycling Team. The 35+ Masters guys dominated the race. There were eight of our guys out there. We were stacked!

After the first lap I started to walk to my car to get some stuff ready for the race. As I did so, I looked over to see Eric (one of our strongest guys) riding back the opposite direction! Turns out he had broken a spoke. Well, now there were seven guys… though it does make me wonder what would have happened had Eric not had the mechanical!

It was text book. We sent guys off the front right off the bat and when he got caught, another one of our guys would attack. Paul got off the front for two laps. However, it was the Rodney and Darin show at the end. Rodney stretched it out and Darin waited like a cat until the perfect time to go for the line. We got 1st and 4th!

Hank and Randy rolled off for the 45+ Masters race. I kept seeing Hank right up there close to the front lap after lap and then he was there at the end as well. He brought home a 3rd place for the team.

Now Matt and I rolled off to see what we could do for the team. We had 5 laps for about 35 miles. We started under beautiful sunshine and temperatures in the 60s.

As usual in this type of category race, nothing really happened for the first four laps. During that time I simply tried to stay in the top fifth of the field. Looking back I think I might have tried a little too hard.

Much of the time I was jumping from one line to another. Often I was in the top 3 to 5 riders. Finally, I realized that was a little too aggressive.  I then tried to stay a bit farther back and concentrate on pedaling as little as possible.

Then things started getting really dicey. A couple of times I had to correct to avoid a rider coming across my front wheel. However, there were three instances that were just too close for comfort!

One time I had a rider on my right and another rider came up beside me on the left. I’m not sure why – perhaps he was pushed over – but he came into me. I held my ground and leaned against him to keep from getting pushed over on the rider to my right.

Another instance I was on the white line and a rider came around my left. He didn’t even look when he cut across my front wheel. I just had to go off the road. Thankfully, the rider behind let me in quickly and I didn’t lose a spot.

Then there was the time we were going downhill and a rider up in front of me checked up. The rider directly in front of me grabbed his breaks. I had no option but to put a pedal down and brush past him to his left.

I went into the last lap with a plan. First, I wanted to get back up toward the front. Unfortunately, for the first part of the last lap I was once again too close to the front. At some points, I was the lead rider “chasing” two riders who had gone off the front with two laps to go.

David Curran then bridged up to the two riders and I followed. We were all together as we left the golf course behind. I was just trying to make sure I was getting my legs in form. I settled in and tried to get oxygen in preparation for the finish.

It was at that point – on what is called 3M hill – that the rider came over on me. Things were starting to get very scary. I am afraid that is what caused me to make the major mistake of the day.

Jim had told me Friday night to go for broke by the railroad track. He and I both didn’t think the best option was to try to advance out of a field sprint. If I was to have a chance, I was going to have to go and hang on before the field could catch me.

Well, all the sketchy riding broke what patience I had. I moved out of about ninth place and tried to build some separation. Looking back I think I should have put a little more into the attempt, but even as I launched I started to second guess my move.

Glancing back I could see that a rider was right on my wheel. Then taking a better look I could see that even though I definitely had the field stretched out, I wasn’t dropping them. I made the decision to pull the chute so I might be able to recover enough to do something at the end.

A positive was that even after that effort, I was able to jump on the wheels of the lead riders. I kept in the front portion of the field over the tracks, into the dip, and then starting up. Matt came flying around and was pulling the field up the hill. I was about five back as we crossed the 1K to go banner.

I was starting to believe that maybe Matt could get a top 5 finish himself. I wasn’t thinking that for myself. I was just hoping that the field behind me was feeling as much in the red zone as myself.

At 500 meters it was about the same. However, then Globalbike and some other teams started coming around me. I countered…

Then I knew it was over. It wasn’t like I gave up. It was just that I felt like I was pumping my legs as hard as I could and I just wasn’t moving fast enough. It was as though I was in slow motion.

At that point I was just trying not to be in the way and salvage what position I could. I felt like a swimmer at the ocean with a wave washing over me. To bad I couldn’t just surf in on them!

I came in on the rear of the field. Talking with Jim afterward he said, “Well, we learned that didn’t work. If it had worked, it would have been awesome!” Yep, it didn’t work, but I’m not complaining.

1) I stayed up. I can’t overstate that. This was one of the first races back after getting back on the bike from last year’s crash. To have contact the way I did and stay clean was a great confidence booster.

2) I was there. Yes, I did not finish well, but no one can say that I wasn’t participating. Perhaps I was participating a little too much!

3) I did have power. I did recover. In the past had I tried that 3M hill stunt, I would have come riding across the finish all alone — way off the back. That I was able to attempt that move – recover – get back in – was a minor victory.

So, what is my take away? I’ve got the legs. I just need the brain. I’ve got to let opportunities come to me. When that opportunity comes, the legs can get me there.

That thought has me smiling.