G-ster '13 edition day 1

Day one...  we got here already to this point where I was there...

that sentence made more sense when i wrote it the first time, i think referring to the back story post... lets got through the race though, in very impressionist broad brush painting style:


going through the check list. Hitting the marks.  Dosing up with warm weather leg slather.

And in a very rare and unusual move endorsed suggested and what not from the team boss, i raced in shorts and the short sleeve jersey.  JERSEY AND BIBS FOR A CX RACE?  yes.
I'm really tired of melting in long sleeve skinsuits and i don't have a short sleeve one.  And ya know what? it worked  mostly.  Did pull the jersey back down once mid-race as it was annoyingly creeping up my back.

Day 1. Intimitating. Long lap. LOTS OF PEDALING. LOTS OF IT. Some turning and good lot of getting off the bike. And some ridiculously high speed barriers.  I'm pretty sure Paul wanted to give the old step-through guard some advantage. but well, i don't think i could have taken them any faster with a step through vs the step off.

Power power power power.  And fast swoopy no brake turns.  There were two turny sections that were not great for me. But much of the rest of it felt pretty damn good.

Start was awesome. 3rd row. Lined up behind Hubbel. Next to Chabot who was lined up behind Boivin. The four ENGVT guys in the race, middle of the second and third row.  I got a big SHHHHH from Mahk McC because maybe I was a bit pumped up and loud.  He also heckled my helmet, no it didn't match the brand on the kit. Maybe remedying that soon.

I lined up on the black bike mostly for the power pedaly sections and all the times off the bike.  But probably shouldn't have in retrospect.

We took off.  Two minutes after the juniors. It was a race in my mind to avoid what happened at Day 2 in Vermont, aka getting lapped by the kids.  Also knew there were a good 20 guys who were faster than i am, way fitter and probably a fair bit more aggro lined up behind me.  So whistle goes and I go in to blast mode but also somewhat Conservative chill settle in.  The lines get tight right away and I figured lets filter back where I belong and then settle in and do what I can do.

It works pretty well.  Wind up in a solid spot in the group and we just race around.  The uphill at the start is almost effortless for me oddly, and that section after the pits where we go back over to the other side, equally just motored. There were definitely sections I was faster than anyone around me on. And a few sections where I was pushing the envelope and getting dropped. Mostly a few turns.

Chris from the Cape Cod team kind of moved up with me and Jerry, oddly I was racing with G-ride, and Chris came blasting up maybe from the back row i dunno, but he was getting pretty pinchy and poking his bike where I didn't want it to be, but since I was railing shit with G-ride I wound up in front i guess on a turny section there as you leave the park. And I fucked up, one lined up right on the rock in the middle of the line and trying to avoid that I stuck my momentum where it didn't belong and couldn't save it and plowed through the tape and Jerry and Chris were gone.  Oops.

That led to a bit of a blow up. legs got soft, brain got tired... then at some point I started racing harder again and killing myself in certain spots again.  It wasn't the most fun gloucester course but it was pretty good, and I managed to salvage a pretty solid finish in a stacked field.  No mechanical issues, suuuuuper dusty. Felt good. Unlike in Vermont the getting off the bike and sprinting felt good, my legs were not dead, i mean they were tired but not useless. even on day 1 in VT when I had a good ride and got some points.

Overall, I surprised myself with the ride. I was racing the whole time.  Either chasing people down, hanging with them or being caught by fast guys.  A great time. Way to warm, too dry, too dusty.

But what a scene. So awesome. Good to see everyone, esp Pete Smith on a rare escape from Colorado. That and even good to see the Negacoach.

A great day racing.

But the big unknown. How would day two go? What would the course change be like? how would the legs respond? Would they be good enough for two days?

Lunch is over... Yeah it got shifted an hour late today. Oh well.

heddwch
G