Thanks for pointing out the new forum, spazz!
Here's my race report, copied from my journal, for my first race on May 22.
This was a rolling ~4 mile circuit with three corners, many curves, a half mile climb and a long fast descent.
My racing strategy as dictated by my "coach" was to hold on as best I could, work my *** off on the climbs and stay ahead of any gaps that opened up, and if dropped to keep working hard and not give up.
So. I was surprised at the lack of tummy-flutters at the start line. I lined up near the front and resolved to stay with that lead group as much as possible. I was really surprised that I was able to do so right through the first few uphill stretches; the descents were maddening as no one worked through them, they just coasted and I was left riding my brakes because I wasn't prepared to push the pace on the uphill bits to follow. In fact I had to keep reminding myself that the first two would be almost "warmup" laps with plenty of racing to follow, because I found myself getting tempted to bring the speed up a touch. I marked some of the spots -- technical turns, steep but short hills, patches of blinding sunlight -- where an attack might be successful, but I knew I wasn't strong enough to be the one doing it.
Sure enough, there were one or two little attacks but then on the major climb at the end of the third lap, someone went for it. I had to go around at least one or two women who were falling off as I gritted my teeth and concentrated on keeping a wheel but I simply couldn't. At the top of the hill we had about 4 in a breakaway, one woman ahead of me chasing, and as far as I was concerned I was alone. Per my pre-race instructions I worked as hard as I could. At last I had a chance to take the descents at full speed and hammer on the flats. The hills still bled way too much off, I just couldn't get my momentum on them. I was keeping pace with the lone chaser, neither gaining nor losing ground. At one point I realized I was pulling two or three other women behind me. I tried to ease up a touch but they wouldn't pull. My primary goal was catching that break, so I went ahead and kept working. The other women pulled ahead on one of the uphills and I grabbed a wheel. They wouldn't power over the top of the hills either, invariably easing up, so I pulled ahead again and kept hammering.
It gets fuzzy, but another uphill and I realized that the bunch we were catching consisted of the women's group and that the lone chaser had already rejoined! "C'mon guys, that's them!" I encouraged; "That's them?" someone responded. We caught them! I was able to sit in for quite a bit and catch my breath which was nice (at this point I realized that there were 7 women in this group and they were paying cash through 6th place), but it wasn't quite enough because before I knew it, the major climb was before me AND the stronger women attacked again. I tried so damned hard to power through it, and pulled ahead of at least one rider, but I think I blew up because suddenly they were all pulling away and I was standing and mashing and trying to make my legs go faster. I crested the hill and tried to keep some power going; I saw the 200 to go signs and some indication of a sprint and only then realized this was the last lap. I tried to spin, spin, but I just had nothing.
According to the race results, 11 of the original 14 finished; I was eighth (not sure where that eighth woman came from, guess I miscounted or something?).
I clearly need to work on my climbing, but that's a good goal for me to shoot for now. And I think I might just have to race again. :)
