As expected, the race was fast. VERY fast. For the first 10 minutes or so I managed to stick with the main pack, but eventually I just had to drop off the back or risk passing out from exhaustion in the first half of the race. It wasn't until I fell off the back of the peloton that I took a look at my cycling computer to check my speed. Coming down the front stretch I was doing 27 MPH (by myself) so we must have been doing at least 30 in the pack. No wonder my hear rate monitor was pushing 190.
The back stretch of the course had a hefty wind, which really sucked when you weren't surrounded by people to block the wind. About a half hour into the race I was getting passed by a group of people when tragedy struck. I gave up the optimal line for the upcoming corner, but someone still passed me on the right. At the same time, another rider passed me on the left and a gust of wind came and pushed his rear tire into my front tire. (At least that's what I think happened, because I'm in denial that someone would pass me by half a bike length and try to get in front of me.) We clashed and I managed to stay up for a bit, but eventually I went down. I got a foot out of my cleat and slid on my metal cleat bottoms briefly, then I landed on my left cheek and slid for a little bit more. I thought about just riding back to the start and ending my race, but I really felt like I needed to finish my first race. It was a little painful, but I finished.
Spandex is some amazing stuff. For as much as I slid, you can't see so much as a scuff on my shorts. I do, however, have a strawberry the size of an orange (ha!) on my ass. I think my bike is okay (I haven't examined it too closely though), because I managed to land mostly on my ass. I scraped up my shifter and my pedal and rear skewer, but all that stuff was scraped up already, so I'm not to concerned.
So, to summarize, my first race ever: CRASH. Better luck next time. :)
Well at least now you'll have a good story to tell when you're world famous!!
ReplyDeleteWay to go!
ReplyDeleteGo you!
ReplyDeleteYou RAWK!! Congrats on finishing your first of many races! Wooo Hooo!!
ReplyDeleteThat was sweeeeet. :)
ReplyDeleteI can't believe how fast the pace was OR how you finished the race after crashing so well. You kicked ass.
Way to finish
ReplyDeleteRyan, Good job finishing your first race. If my mountain biking experiences are any indicator, they don't get any less crazy! Something about the added intensity of competing, on top of the normal intensity of going hard physically, puts some people over the edge and they do dumb stuff (like the guy who tried to pass you). I once had two guys try to pass me at a stream crossing during a mountain bike race. I just had time to be surprised to see them, then they hit me from either side...and *both* bounced off and crashed -- happily they offset each other, ha.
Also, that whole warming up with a trainer is something to consider. There's always tension between getting warm and getting a good start position. I think warm is more important, at least for any race of reasonable distance. I was so amped to start my first lap in the 24 Hours of Moab that I averaged 175 for heartrate...for almost an hour and a half. I went out super-easy on the last lap (45 miles later) and warmed up gradually. Turned almost as fast a lap at the end as on that crazy first lap.
Anyway, it's cool that you're out there riding and racing. You will no doubt improve in leaps and bounds as you get the rhythm of things and keep pushing your fitness. Have fun and good luck!
Mike