Road Race
The road race was a 62-mile course with about 45 starters.
The race was pretty disorganized from the start with a field split about 10
miles in. I made the selection and made an effort to conserve energy as best as
I could to endure the scorching heat and lengthy mileage. The breakaway I was
in consisted of about 12 riders, and included multiple teams including: Texas
Roadhouse, Bissel-Nuvo, Cleveland Clinic Sports Health, and ISCORP cycling.
There was no rotating pace line, just a series of attacks after attacks. With
about 20 miles to go the break had withered to 6 riders. I failed to respond to
Bissel-Nuvo and Texas Roadhouse who each sent a rider off the small break who
ended up finishing 1st and 2nd. In our group of 4 I knew
we had to keep moving or we were going to get caught. With 5 miles to go I
threw down a huge attack and got a gap on the other 3 riders. I ended up
soloing it in for 3rd place about a minute ahead of the chase group,
and about 30 seconds down from 1st and 2nd. It felt great to finish the way I did
because I raced smart conserving energy when I needed, then, spending energy
where it made sense. The heat took its toll on the rest of the field and only
half of the racers finished. I will play back the last 5 miles in my head for
many days to come!
Criterium
The Criterium was pretty uneventful. It was very painful,
but uneventful. My legs were shot from the road race, and the heat was even worse.
I managed to make it into one of the only breaks of the day, but after trying
to get it rolling there was no use, the field was not letting anything go. I
drifted back to the pack and hung out in the field the rest of the race, trying
to not die of heat stroke. With 5 laps to go, I moved up and sprinted for 13th,
a mediocre result, but I was glad for it to be over. After crossing the
line I hopped off my bike and ran to a dock where I did a cannon ball into the
lake. I learned my body suffers in the heat and I need to take extra steps to
hydrate the day before and day of a race. Overall, it was a great weekend of
racing; I’m feeling better and better each day on the bike!
On a more serious note, the cycling community lost a great
person, and rider the other day. Karl Raynor has been one of the most
influential people on my growth in this sport. Not so much in the growth of my
fitness, but my appreciation for riding, and the simple joy it brings. I will
never forget hopping on my bike as a 13 year old and meeting the Wilkes-Raynor
group rides in Eagle Creek or at Fishback Elementary during my first summer of riding. My best friend Matt Green
and our dads would ride with him and his group for years up until we left for college. When I
would return home for winter break, Karl and his group of riders would always
be riding and it was like nothing had changed. I will never forget his
surprise attacks, his monster calves, his ease of laughter, or the way he would just ride himself into
the ground. The group rides will continue, but it will be noticeable that a
part is missing.
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