Longbranch RR

This was the senior (as opposed to juniors or masters - so all of us middle aged folks ;) ) state championship race this year.
10.5 mile loop mostly rolling with 1/2 mile steep climb and 2 1/4 mile sustained climbs. 3 laps for the cat 4 women's field

This race wasn't on my calendar, but hey peer pressure works sometimes and I was feeling pretty good earlier in the week. Of course the first thing my coach (who is also my teammate) says is you need to take a week off... then she told me I was supposed to win.....
The three strongest of us on the team spent a bit of time arguing about who we'd be working for, but not in that way - more like, heck no, not me - you're the stonger one.... so we kind of went into it without much of a plan per say.
The first lap went pretty much as expected. The hills dropped off a good number of people right off and we were left with a group of about 12 to 15 people. Our team had a big majority so few others were doing too much work. Near the finish of the first lap one of my teammates put in a small attack that was pulled back pretty quickly. Pretty soon after that (you need to attack on the hills says coach..) I put in an attack of my own on a long fairly gentle climb. And what do you know no one bothered to follow me... I even heard that there was some discussion back in the pack from the other teams that they didn't have to worry, I couldn't sustain it. I think my teammates, coach included, may have played along to the point of agreeing :D (I may not be very big and powerful or have the fastest and best jump, but I can maintain a hr of around 187 for upwards of 2 hours so it may be a mistake to underestimate just what I can sustain :rolleyes: ). For some time the road was straight and I could see them and they could see me. I could tell I was making slow headway and getting a little further out so I kept it up hoping that after the first turn, as the road got twistier and more rolling that "out of sight out of mind" would kick in. I think that after I got out of sight and it was coming up on nearly 1/2 a lap that I'd been away that the other teams decided that maybe it wasn't such a good idea to let me go, and 4 other people bridged up. I was a little concerned that they'd go right by me since I had been hauling as fast as I could and certainly was feeling it, but I must have made them work hard enough to catch me that I was still able to catch onto them and stick.
We pulled pretty hard throught the rest of the second lap, working together to make the break stay away. Around the start of the third lap one of the gals up with us started to worry about getting caught. It had happened the week before and to tell the truth it was probably partly her fault - she's very strong and she can totally pull apart a paceline by surging ahead too much - it tires everyone else out and the paceline as a whole doesn't work as fast. I told her not to worry as the remaining chasers were mostly on my team and the team of two of the others in our break, so they should have little incentive to chase us down - I know my teammates would not and were likely doing what they could to keep the pace down short of blocking.
The third lap was a bit slower and that was OK with me. I hung back a bit at times on the bigger climbs to not show my cards or risk blowing up before the finish, but we were still going too fast for one of our break. She cracked on the last big climb and then it was 4, the odds were getting better and better. At the final corner the strongest member of the group (the one who was complaining that we better pick it up or risk being caught) took off. I tried to rally the other two to chase her, but they just didn't have it left and for that matter neither did I - at least not on my own. I did get them working in a paceline again at least and we kept the front runner in sight. Coming up to the finish, which was slightly uphill I tried to stay behind the other two as long as possible. They were both on the same team and I was alone, so I didn't want to give them a lead out. I think I may have been on front when we hit 200 meters - I had been trying to ramp up the speed without going into a full on sprint for as long as possible. Neither of the other two tried to go so at probably 100 meters I stood up and sprinted for it. I could hear some of our cat 1/2/3 team yelling for me to go so I gritted my teeth and kept going for SECOND! During the sprint I had no idea where the other two were, I assumed that at least one of them was right on my wheel but I heard later I was about a bike length ahead of the next gal so I guess I timed it OK. One of my teammates who came in a minute or two later said the gal who came in just after me was over on the shoulder of the road saying "but I'm a sprinter..." in a bit of disbelief I guess that little tiny me had gotten the jump on her.
So in all a great day for a race I decided to do at the last minute - oh and I got a medal since it was the state championship :D

congrats little tiny you! you are a rocket!

:D

Eden!! Hot damn! Congratulations, girl! What a great story.

Congrats and awesome job girlie!!! Now aren't you glad you did this race :D

That's terrific! Post a pic of your medal.

V.

Oh wow - great tactics, great power and wonderful result!!! Good for you!

SWEET second, Eden! Congrats & high fives for ya!
~BikeMomma

Photos from the race are up! there's a nice series of the sprint finish starting here: http://www.wheelsinfocus.com/2007/pages/94AD8276lb.htm

Congrats, Eden, on a terrific finish! Sounds like you played the race just right.

SheFly