Race Report #9 7/28/09 Kapellen Crit

Race Report #10
7/28/09 Post Tour Crit Holland

Another Post tour crit in Holland, a fun course minus the bad brick pavement that covers the course minus about 300m of smooth pavement. Woke up this morning and wanted to go straight back to bed. I have hit the wall. Long drive to the race and i know im in trouble, can not get my head where it should be.

There are a lot of large teams and big names this race should be hard. First few laps gets the field strung out and im already noticing people popping out of the race, it's fast but im not working supper hard i know my legs are empty and every time i get out of the saddle i have no kick what so ever. I keep making my way up towards the front louse focus and go straight to the back again, i do this several times lap after lap.

I can hear my coach yelling at me, what are you doing? When are you going to learn to listen to our body? Your only going to put your self in a hole, what is the point of this. Who knows if this is what she would say, maybe she would say pull your head out and ride your bike, focus and get it done. But at the time i like the first one better.

I see some people i rode out with on the side of the course in a nice patch of grass along the canal and next thing i know im sitting there with them. I did the unthinkable for me, i poled my self from a race and really was fine with it. And really i still am. There are a few small regrets about doing it but they are small small regrets not worth beating my self up over. So that's that.

Lesson # 10 listen to my body it knows best.

Race Report # 9 8/22/09 Herentals Post Tour Crit

Race Report # 9
8/22/09 Herentals
Post Tour Crit

Post tour crits are a big deal, and this one was a big deal, only a small amount of riders are permitted to ride and i was a lucky one. It's a small field and a short ish course with cobbles and lots of twist and turns, really a fun course. The crowds are huge lining the course the whole way lots of loud music and tons of plastic cups lettering the course from all the beer drinking that's going on, its a party that's for sure.

Going in to this race i know i am tiered had raced the past few days and i do not have high hopes for to day, i went to a Holland post tour crit the day before because i wanted the experience, but on the start line i know i should have skipped it.

We are off attacks start right off and we are strung out gaps are opened up and i come around to not get gaped off, this happens several times until a group of us are gaped off and i just don't have it in me to close this one down every one just watches the group ride away. This sucks. So there is a group of us that finally breaks down to 4 of us riding around with only two of us really working not to get lapped. I'm doing most of the work and feel fine doing this i just want this to be over with. Two laps to go and one of the other strong girls attacks and i go with her she sees me on her and sits straight up and i come around her to keep the tempo up one to go i attack half way through the lap and finish i think 18th over all.

Not my best day out.

Lesson #9 If you want to do well at a big deal race don't go in to it tiered as all hell.

Night out good times!