Here we go...official race report from Saturdays grueling 38 mile scorcher!
I was pretty psyched up about this race. My legs felt good all week leading up to Saturday, and I followed good protocol Friday (eating well and spinning on my trainer for about 20-30 minutes).
It was a scorcher. Very sunny, very hot (although not nearly as steamy as it was in the city). There were a dozen women in the field (all from Jersey...so the title was on the line). There were two teams with 3+ riders, so I expected them to do a lot of work on the day. I felt uncannily confident on the starting line...to be honest, I kept saying to myself "Don't overestimate yourself or underestimate your competition!"
We started out at a snail's pace - quite literally pushing about 14.5 miles an hour. So terrible because I really wanted to bump it up...but I kept my patience (I thought of you, Sally!) and sat in to wait for a move. Eventually, the pace picked up and we settled in for the long 38 miles! By the end of the first lap, I was feeling great! Having taken a look at the rest of the competition, I knew who was going to be a factor at the finish, and set my sights on those 5 women for the final lap. About 10 miles out from the finish, 6 of us broke from the pack and started the race for the Jersey. We had a nice paceline going, averaging around 22 or 23 for the remainder of the race. When we took the final turn, the pace line broke down. 3 miles to the finish and we started to shuffle around, slow down, and wait for the big sprint. Two girls (one of whom was the #1 ranked rider) took off the front a bit, but I sat in the back (patient again!)...actually unsure as to whether my legs had it in them for the sprint up the hill to the finish.
When we hit the bottom of that hill...something took over. I shot out from behind the three riders in front of me, passed the two women who had pulled off the front, and took my butt up that hill. I realized on the way up that I HAD IT! I HAD FIRST IN THE BAG!
Well...ALMOST! :) No excuses, but my left calf cramped up like a brick. I couldn't do a darn thing with that leg, and one of the other riders got me just at the end! Needless to say, I am THRILLED to say that I took 2nd place in the NJ State Champ Race! I really felt like I rode a smart race (although I got stuck pulling a lot more than I would have liked). The only other thing I could have done was DRINK, DRINK, DRINK! This is something I have to work on, and might have saved me at the finish from cramping up.
Thanks to Dana and Robin, and especially Heather and Greg for being there at the finish line! It was great to share that experience with you!
Official stats from the race:
Distance: 37.53 miles
Duration: 1 hour 52 minutes
Average Speed: 20 mph
Course: Beautiful big-ring course, nice rolling hills - very easy - one of the other riders told Heather after the race that she couldn't understand how I was going up those hills without breathing hard...THANK YOU, LANCASTER COUNTY!!! :)
Interesting Points: The winding section in the marsh...very beautiful and nice to ride through. Only downside was getting bit on the butt my greenhead flies...now I know why horses have tails! :):):)
I was pretty psyched up about this race. My legs felt good all week leading up to Saturday, and I followed good protocol Friday (eating well and spinning on my trainer for about 20-30 minutes).
It was a scorcher. Very sunny, very hot (although not nearly as steamy as it was in the city). There were a dozen women in the field (all from Jersey...so the title was on the line). There were two teams with 3+ riders, so I expected them to do a lot of work on the day. I felt uncannily confident on the starting line...to be honest, I kept saying to myself "Don't overestimate yourself or underestimate your competition!"
We started out at a snail's pace - quite literally pushing about 14.5 miles an hour. So terrible because I really wanted to bump it up...but I kept my patience (I thought of you, Sally!) and sat in to wait for a move. Eventually, the pace picked up and we settled in for the long 38 miles! By the end of the first lap, I was feeling great! Having taken a look at the rest of the competition, I knew who was going to be a factor at the finish, and set my sights on those 5 women for the final lap. About 10 miles out from the finish, 6 of us broke from the pack and started the race for the Jersey. We had a nice paceline going, averaging around 22 or 23 for the remainder of the race. When we took the final turn, the pace line broke down. 3 miles to the finish and we started to shuffle around, slow down, and wait for the big sprint. Two girls (one of whom was the #1 ranked rider) took off the front a bit, but I sat in the back (patient again!)...actually unsure as to whether my legs had it in them for the sprint up the hill to the finish.
When we hit the bottom of that hill...something took over. I shot out from behind the three riders in front of me, passed the two women who had pulled off the front, and took my butt up that hill. I realized on the way up that I HAD IT! I HAD FIRST IN THE BAG!
Well...ALMOST! :) No excuses, but my left calf cramped up like a brick. I couldn't do a darn thing with that leg, and one of the other riders got me just at the end! Needless to say, I am THRILLED to say that I took 2nd place in the NJ State Champ Race! I really felt like I rode a smart race (although I got stuck pulling a lot more than I would have liked). The only other thing I could have done was DRINK, DRINK, DRINK! This is something I have to work on, and might have saved me at the finish from cramping up.
Thanks to Dana and Robin, and especially Heather and Greg for being there at the finish line! It was great to share that experience with you!
Official stats from the race:
Distance: 37.53 miles
Duration: 1 hour 52 minutes
Average Speed: 20 mph
Course: Beautiful big-ring course, nice rolling hills - very easy - one of the other riders told Heather after the race that she couldn't understand how I was going up those hills without breathing hard...THANK YOU, LANCASTER COUNTY!!! :)
Interesting Points: The winding section in the marsh...very beautiful and nice to ride through. Only downside was getting bit on the butt my greenhead flies...now I know why horses have tails! :):):)
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