Racing Updates

I forgot to update on the Cargas Criterium from last weekend, but it didn't go so well so my subconscious must have purposely made me forget to update. Basically I was doing well the first few laps, started having some pains so backed off a little to ride with someone else. Then I had this huge back pain in my upper left back under my shoulder blade, and every time I took a breath I got this sharp shooting pain, like someone was stabbing me in the back (not that I would know what that feels like literally). I ended up just dropping out for my own safety. I did just come off of a 6 week break from any real training, and a cold/sinus infection a few days prior, so that could have played a part.

Earlier today, however, I was at the velodrome for 3 races; 2k Scratch, 3k Point-a-lap and an unknown distance race. God I hate those unknown distance!

The 2k scratch race went ok, but man the field I was racing with was so shaky! I've never felt so nervous during a race and nearly got wiped out like 3 or 4 occassions by either someone in front of me cutting me off without looking or on one occassion someone to the right of me coming into me. Then on one occassion there were these two riders in front of me and I thought for sure this shady guy was going to take out the other, resulting in me running over them and crashing since I would not have had time to react.

3K Point-a-lap was pretty good though. This time I didn't care for getting any points, I was still kind of shaken up from the first race that I just wanted to survive. The field split up in the last K (3 laps) and I thought the four of us riding together were going to sprint for something like 9 or 10th place. I was the last rider of the four of us coming through the first turn of the last lap. on the back stretch i gunned it and went right by the two in front of me, but the guy in front wanted to sprint it out with me coming out of the last turn, and I gunned it with all I had, beating him by just inches.

The unknown distance race: I had nothing left in me by this race and as much as I tried, I could not keep with the field after 4 laps or so. I ended up getting lapped and pulled myself out of the race.

Then I got some good news. My dad had come into the in field to meet me while I packed up to leave the track and head back to my car. I asked him "What place were we fighting for in that second [3k point-a-lap] race?" He said "oh, I'm pretty sure it was fourth place". I didn't think that was right, because I knew there were at least three off the front, and I could have sworn there was another small field behind them and in front of us. He was pretty hard-nosed (it's a word, look it up!) with his words, saying that there was only a few off the front and we were the next field to cross the line. After a back and forth debate, I went to check with Ben, the guy with the results and he told me I finished the race (points-wise) in 5th place. So my dad might have been right with the 4th place over the finish line, and then after the point were totalled up I only had 1 point, which I did not expect at all, placing me 5th overall.

So, it was a good day for me. I'm feeling a lot better and more confident on the track. I got two weeks before my next track racing, due to 4th of July next weekend and a friend's wedding the following weekend. I'm going to debate upon either upgrading to 4 or staying in 5 for another race during these two weeks.

Unless I don't say anything until then, Happy 4th of July!