Oh Clermont, we meet again. There is always something about this tiny little place that can easily suck the life out of you. It’s humbling. With each race I do, I learn just a little bit more. This weekend we headed up to Race of the West. Packed the bikes and four bodies (thug life) into one hotel room. If anything, the weekend was filled with a lot laughs, hashtags, and new found respect for a tub with proper draining.
CLEEEERMONT!
Saturday I woke up with mixed emotions, one was I can’t wait to do this…the other was I’ve changed my mind, I’m staying in bed (child tantrum). This would be my first circuit so I went with one goal, stay with the main group. A circuit: a road cycling race that’s several laps in a given amount time, this one was 40 minutes, just in case anyone was wondering. I didn’t want to be that one lonely straggler. I didn’t want a DNF. Worse off, I didn’t want to make a rookie mistake and take someone down. Setting some realistic goals here people. So I line up, hands shaking and heart pounding (please don’t throw up). After a few rules (don’t ever fold your number) we were off…and of course, I can’t clip in (wtf!). After what felt like the longest seconds, I finally get clipped and head off to close off whatever gap had created. I knew I had to find a way to calm myself down, this kind of nervous just makes you jittery on the bike, which never leads to anything good. We get into a surprisingly steady rhythm. The road starts to curve and we take a few turns, nothing I couldn’t handle. Until we come to the last turn towards the start/finish. This is where I realized more than ever that I can’t take a turn if my life depended on it (great!). So the rest of the race I knew I was going to be closing gaps. (#thegapclosers). This is just an unnecessary waste of energy and work. It’s hard to think of any kind of strategy when you don’t know what to expect (is someone going to attack!?) and you can’t take a damn turn. Other than sprinting to catch the group after certain turns, the race went at a good pace. It’s not that it was easy, but when you spend your weekend trying to keep up with some of these boys (key word being trying), you kind of expect that level of intensity. “1 lap left”, so I was ready for some kind of showdown but it went like any of the other loops. That was until the finish line was in sight (it’s going down). I never imagined how much goes on at this finish line. I come from races where you come in alone. In this case, you have to worry about those sprinting inches from you, the wheel in front of you (note to self: don’t get behind a girl that’s going to slow down), is there space for you to move forward, is someone going to make a dumb mistake and cut you off, are you in the right gear (this was more of an afterthought). All while going as fast as possible, giving whatever you have left. There’s a lot going on and little time to react. You just get this tunnel vision. Shut.up.legs. Finito!! Second thought, after holly hell, can we do it again?? After a minor heartache in the guy’s race, some breakfast, the procession for showers, we head to drive the course for the Road Race. My one thought, I wish I hadn’t.
That’s me…in the back…
The course of the road race on Sunday was 4, 11 mile loops. With a climb that has been crowned “the wall”. I’ll leave it at that. I went in this race with my general attitude. Small accomplishments, just finish. I should have gone into this race thinking fight like hell to stay with the group (it’s a learning process). The race starts like all others, steady pace…and then the wall (wait.for.me). Surprise, surprise I get dropped. But instead of saying that’s it, I chase down the group. Pedal like hell on the downhill. I pass a girl and in true sportsman like conduct tell her to get on my wheel and I start closing the gap, only to realize I was starting to run out of push. I ease up on the pedal and she starts to pull. With a whole lot of effort we manage to get back with the group. “Never stop chasing, you never know” she tells me with a smile and that stuck with me the rest of the race…and will for the rest of my races (actually, in life). I got dropped on the next longer climb and worked just to keep the group in sight. Into the second loop my roommate caught up after dropping the chain and we worked together to catch two other girls. A big thank you to her for keeping me going, for helping me out when my legs just couldn’t. Wind, climbs, numb legs, snot and other things…we finished together and the second we unclipped took a seat on the grass, there was just nothing left to walk. I don’t think we’ve ever pushed ourselves this much in a race. It felt good… ~AddingMoMiles
AddingMoMiles 