Warning: Racing is Addictive!

[SnappyPix]

Still buzzing after my first ever road race!
The event was a 97km Hamilton to Auckland race. Every bit of it was SO exciting - waiting at the start line with over 1500 other cyclists (never been surrounded by that many cyclists before!), riding in a pack, having the traffic stopped for us and being able to ride virtually traffic-free!
The course was fairly flat for the first 50km, then we hit the hills. I've never really ridden in a group (just once before) and was thrilled that I was actually overtaking really fit guys (with huge muscley legs) on the hills with my 2 ring chainwheels!
I felt invincible!
Disaster struck just 5km from the end when my cycling buddy suffered a puncture - but we managed to cross the line at 3hrs 21 (my clock read 3hrs 12) - averaging 30kpm for the ride (which was a nice surprise after all the hills!).
It was just so fantastic to just go for it for the whole 97km and be surrounded by people who really love to do what I love to do! I was paranoid about being brought down by another rider (especially at the start, when everyone was jockeying for position), but thankfully I managed to stay upright the whole way!
I'm now so hyped I'm looking for all the races I can enter and starting to devise a training plan to increase my speed/fitness.
Eating on the move was an interesting experience! I'd taken some liquid sports fuel, power bars and dried fruit - but getting the wrappers off the bars while sprinting was a disaster! I ended up with a mouth full of foil and a mushed up bar! I've noticed that some women had little bags on the top of their top tubes (can't remember what they were called), big enough for power bars, so I think I might invest in one, rather than having to randomly grab stuff out of my back pocket!
Hillwork has definitely increased my stamina, and now - rather than cursing the hills - I'm looking for routes with steeper, more challenging terrain!
I never realised that doing events would be such a huge thrill, and that whatever your level of fitness, you finish over the line feeling a winner

[Nanci]

Great race report! Sounds like a really fun time!

The thing on the top tube is called a Bento Box. That's a trademark name, as well as a generic name. Here's the one I use:

http://www.trisports.com/benbakil.html

For your snacks, you can take the Power Bar or whatever it is you're eating, and cut it up into bite-sized bits, then put it in a little zip lock bag, like snack size, http://www.zombierunner.com/store/baggies.html (that place sells them if you can't get them where you live) and put that in your Bento Box.

Nanci

[Trekhawk]

[QUOTE=SnappyPix]Still buzzing after my first ever road race!
The event was a 97km Hamilton to Auckland race. Every bit of it was SO exciting - waiting at the start line with over 1500 other cyclists (never been surrounded by that many cyclists before!), riding in a pack, having the traffic stopped for us and being able to ride virtually traffic-free!


And the crowd roars and cheers - well done SnappyPix.
I love the part about the traffic stopping, it must have been awesome to see the start with that many riders.

Look forward to hearing about your next race.

[DirtDiva]

Good going! I can't imagine riding 97km in 3hrs 21mins!

[SnappyPix]

Thanks everyone - sorry I rambled on in my first posting, I was still quite high from it all, I think, and just needed to get it out of my system!
I've calmed down a little now!

Great race report! Sounds like a really fun time!

The thing on the top tube is called a Bento Box. That's a trademark name, as well as a generic name. Here's the one I use:

http://www.trisports.com/benbakil.html

For your snacks, you can take the Power Bar or whatever it is you're eating, and cut it up into bite-sized bits, then put it in a little zip lock bag, like snack size, http://www.zombierunner.com/store/baggies.html (that place sells them if you can't get them where you live) and put that in your Bento Box.

Nanci

Thanks for that Nanci - much appreciated, I'll check the link out - and thanks for the tip about the power bars, I'll follow your advice.

[han-grrl]

Wow!

SOunds like it was a great race...congrats!