yeah baby

Today wrapped up a very good week. Somehow, despite B being sick part of the week and having rain for a couple of days, I was able to get in some very good time on the bike this week. Not huge hours but lots of intensity. There is nothing like lots of intervals (both long and short) to remind you that the race season is just around the corner. Saturday I had pretty tired legs so I was pretty happy that it rained most of the day so I wasn't tempted to go for a ride. Instead, I went for a jog with the pooch, worked around the house, priced out some new kitchen cabs with the family and did a bit of lazing about. Good stuff.

Today (Sunday) found myself and Mad Mike heading down to Scarborough for week #2 of the 8 week crit training series. There was a real road race in NH today so some of the hot shot roadies weren't there but we still had a decent group of 15-20 riders with a couple of fairly heavy hitters. Before the race Mike and I decided we'd give a two man break a try if the opportunity arose. Otherwise we'd try to help the other out if they made a break by trying to slow the field.

When the race started a four man break quickly made it's way off the front. Nobody else seemed too interested in reeling them in so I took to the front and pulled them most of the way back and thankfully got a bit of help for the final distance because my legs weren't warmed up yet. Once re-grouped, it wasn't long before Mike made a break with two or three others. As planned, I went to the front and sat up to try to slow the field a bit. My tactic worked for a while but eventually a cat 3 racer (I think his name was Jorge ) got tired of my silliness and organized a few others and pulled Mike's crew back after a few laps but not until after Mike had won two premes (a dozen organic eggs and $5).

Soon after a guy I chat with while racing quietly told me stick close to him. I dutifully obliged and on the backside of the course Bob launched an attack that me and one other dude latched onto. Before long we had a sizable gap on the field. For the next 5-6 laps, the three of us worked to try to maintain our gap over the field. Bob and John (the other dude in the break) spent a couple of races cluing me in on how to make a breakaway work. Stuff like, don't blow up on the front, take short pulls etc. Good advice for me since I usually turn myself inside out when I hit the front of the field. About four laps into our flyer we got the cow bell indicator that there was a SMCC baseball cap preme coming up on the next lap. Bob and John were gracious enough to let me have it uncontested the next lap since John had won one the previous week and Bob is the supplier of the hats and thus didn't need yet another.

In the next couple of laps the pack reeled us in so I moved to the back to try to recover. As we lapped through the next lap we got another cowbell for a $5 preme. Before the race I had loaned Mike $10 to pay for his entry fee and with one preme in his hands already I decided to help him get this one as well so that he could pay me back at the end of the race. Shortly after forming my plan Jorge jumped off the front and quickly gaped the field by a couple hundred feet. I slid up next to Mike and told him to come with me and I'd tow him up to Jorge. Unfortunately, Mike was boxed in and unable to respond so I went alone hoping to nab the preme for myself instead.

Once I caught Jorge and realized that we already had a big gap on the field we formed a hasty alliance and decided to split any premes we got while off the front so we wouldn't be tempted to sprint and muck up our chances of the win. Jorge and I worked well together over the next 5 laps and picked up $15 worth of premes. On the last lap, John (from the previous break) bridged up to us. It was clear that the field wasn't going to catch us at this point so we decided to cruise until the final sprint.

When the sprint started with about 300 yds to go I was sitting third wheel. Pretty much perfect. When Jorge and John kicked it in, I geared up, swung to the left and dug deep to edge the other two out for the win by about two or three bike lengths. Soon after, Mike took the field sprint for 4th place and I later found out that he had worked to keep the pack from bringing us in. Thanks Mike!

I realize the the fastest riders weren't here today but it sure was nice to notch my first ever road win. It was also very good experience learning how to function like a human being in a breakaway.