I fished a daddy long legs out of the tub yesterday morning and it didn't dawn on my until just now how my little power animal was paying me a visit before my big race.
With all the foot problems I've been having this year it made sense for me to focus my energy on cycling for a while so I did my first Criterium race a few weeks ago. I got a flat on the second to last lap and my front wheel was a mess, oh man, but boy was it exhilarating to be out on a closed course with a bunch of other fast females! So inspired!
After a disappointing DNF I finally built up the confidence to sign up for another Crit on Saturday, June 20th. My goals, in order, for that race were as follows:
1. stay upright
2. stay with the peloton (ie don't get dropped from the group)
3. suck wheel
4. maintain a competitive position into the last lap
5. sprint last 200m at 30-34mph
My lovely sister Sarah let us borrow her car this whole weekend. So Billy was up at the crack of dawn on Saturday to drive me to the race in Pleasanton with time to register for the race and attend a clinic (where seasoned Berkeley cyclist Meredith Nielsen was instrumental in helping me find the right gear and avoid crashing)! This race was Cat 3/4 combined, so I didn't experience the same problem with overlapping wheels (the field was so much faster!). It was an eventful race with a crash and a flat. I accomplished all my goals, but didn't finish even close to the podium... 15th out of 28 riders. :(
But, hey look, I'm on the board!
Criterium racing has humbled me on the bike for sure. Crits are risky business and winning requires strategy, skill, and speed. Road racing season is right around the corner and I kinda can't wait to sink my cleats into those! I've got about a month to work on my front wheelie. ;)
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