4/09/98
Since I'm here waiting for a gel to harden in lab, I'd thought I'd write another entry.
The first Seward Park Thursday Crit started today. I met Don P. at the Hec Ed bridge. While I was waiting, a couple of riders that were clearly going down to Seward passed me. Don and I rode down, going at a pretty quick pace. At least faster than I would have gone alone. Which is good, I think, since it gave me a proper warm up. But we didn't go too fast, since half way down, someone on a mountain bike with normal shorts and a sweatshirt passed us, working real hard. We weren't going really fast at the moment. But before we could even think about speeding up to catch him, he slowed down, and we passed him.
There was a big turn out at the race. The promoter (Dave Douglas) seems to have worked hard in getting better sponsorship for the race this year. Big banners, and a large presence buy Powerbar. Free bars, free water bottles, more prizes! And instead of paying $8 for each race, you could either get the $170 season pass, or the $70 10-race pass. I opted for the $70 10-race pass.
Before the race, I was thinking about my strategy. From the previous hilly rides we did, I decided that I might be able to climb better out of the saddle. And what I remember from my other races, I would try to spin too low a gear, and my heartrate would skyrocket. I decided to stay in the big chainring up front, and stand up for the hills.
The strategy worked. I stayed with the pack pretty well. About 2/3 of the way in to the race, I was feeling pretty strong so I let gravity pull me to the front, and worked with three other guys in a little lead group. But that lasted about 2 laps, and while I was in the lead, the pack caught up. I was quickly at the end of the pack, but I had enough strength to keep up with the pack, and wasn't dropped. I think I exerted myself too much during the little break, so I couldn't motor up the hills like I had been during the beginning of the race. But I still had enough to pass a couple of people for the last lap.
I'm not sure if the pack was particularly slow today, but I felt pretty strong, and this was the best finish I've ever had.