Sunday 5/7/06, EMC2/Vellum Criterium
Fresh home from this race & hopefully I can crank out this report in one sitting before succumbing to a nap that keeps wanting to happen. I doubt they have the results page up yet, so I’ll come back and post that whenever they do, and maybe any pics I can find.
This was a fun one, and I did well, especially as us Cat 4’s were racing against the Cat 3’s. They don’t separate the two categories in the final race results, so where you finish in the pack, that’s what you go home with. There were 26 riders that finished – I don’t know how many started – and I placed 16th! I’m pretty jazzed! Rocket-grrrl Charlotte nabbed fourth again, and still wouldn’t share her wine winnings with me. Ha! Charlotte, if you read this, thanks for the Hammer stuff, the awesome tunes, the grreat company, and the gas money that you didn’t need to give me. :p :p
The course was a short clockwise loop in a business park just off of Hopeyard Ave in Pleasanton. The streets looked reeeally familiar…I think the Cinderella route passes close by. There were three 90-degree corners and one wide sweeping corner, and the roads were smooth and fairly wide, with lots of shade trees. Overall, an excellent course.
The pace of this race was rather strange sometimes. We started off slow and then someone rode fast up the side, probably to get things started, and then it went off from there. We had moments when we were flying, and then we slowed, and it just kept on like that. With 10 or so laps to go, there was a yukky crash that happened just ahead of me and to the left – three ladies went down from what I could see, and I learned later that the loud bang we heard was her bike breaking in pieces (if you read this, glad you gals are ok and hope you’re back out there soon with a brand new ride…). They still hadn’t cleared the road by the time we came around again, so they neutralized us for a couple laps, and then completely stopped and restarted us with 9 laps to go. No more incidents after that.
Overall, very fun! Here’s my stats…again, I forgot to clear my computer before we started (airhead :rolleyes: ), so the riding around I did before the race is included, as well as our slower neutral laps: Total time/ 1:35:38; Distance/ 28.81mi; Max speed/ 29.0mph; Avg speed/ 18.0mph; Calories burned/ 827; Avg hr/ 159; Max hr/ 188.
Thanks for reading! Naptime (while my kids are asleep too)! :D ZZZzzzzzz.......
~BikeMomma
p.s. Almost forgot -- was anyone out riding their tandem with their DH/SO at the shopping center near Dublin Ave today? This would have been around 11:30/:45 or so. We visited Peets and while I was sitting outside, saw an awesome purple tandem with two dressed-alike riders go by. You guys looked great.
No rain forecasted for this weekend...
I think it's gonna be hot for the Dash 4 Cash.
I try to keep my race reports colorful to say the least (ha!)
Anyhow, since I have a public domain to hound you about races here's a list to consider:
6 /10 Fremont Crit
6/17 Folsom Crit
6/18 Nevada City Crit
You missed one hulluva ride Tuesday. Kevin, Eugene and I showed up and the group smelled blood (post six hour ride weakness I suppose) and we left Raley's in a ball of 28 mph flames. The ride settled in at 25 mph going out Bear Creek and then coming in everyone was taking it slow (total reverse of the usual pace lol). Eugene, Kevin and I crossed the line in 1,2,3 in the group sprint. That'll teach 'em to mess with us. My legs felt pretty strong -- how about you? I was in a comma most of Tuesday morning. Get this: Steve had to get up at 1am for work the same night. We owe him a six pack :eek:
Hey, don't be so surprised at your results -- you're getting stronger and staying at the front.
Ciao,
Vino
See you tonight for the ride, or call me. :cool:
