Race Report: Madera Stage Race, Sharon Time Trial

My time was 22:31 according to my computer, for the first time out on Madera's pan flat 10.38 mile course. The course highlights included crosswinds, bad (but better!) pavement, and bees, the stinging kind! It was, otherwise, a beautiful sunny day, and a good day for an ITT.

After a good warmup up and down a road near the course, I got to the start without my shoe covers! Crap. I blame my lack of shoe covers for at least 5 minutes (okay, really maybe 10 seconds). The P3C, with a newly verified position and a tri spoke, looked and sounded fast. I felt strong, and certainly stronger toward the end, since it sometimes takes me time to warm up to full capacity. I passed three guys, which was fun, but can mean anything.

We'll see if things in the GC shake up at all. Ben's time last year was 20:39, and my time would have put me in 13th. Not sure how this year's conditions compare to last, and I'm too lazy to figure out how much the GC changed after this TT last year.

Flat, long TTs are my specialty. I just wish we had more of them up by Menlo Park. As my power data tells me, I clearly need the practice!

Race Report: Madera Stage Race, Ben Hur Hill Climb TT

35:24 - 30th in GC, 3 minutes behind race leader

This is my first time racing the Madera stage race. As a Pro/1/2 rider, I get to do an extra stage: the Ben Hur hill climb time trial. The course is just brutal. Six miles of steep, unrelenting rolling hills and the worst pavement I've ever seen (even by New York standards) leads to 3 miles up a 6-7% grade with no improvement in pavement quality. To top it of, conditions were windy, and the sun gave way to clouds right before the start.

The course is a tradeoff. A powerful climber is probably the best rider, and a super light road bike with clip on aerobars is probably the best setup. I rode my Cervelo P3C TT bike with Zipp 303 wheels, and it was fairly light at 17 lbs, but not the ideal position for climbing.

A course like this just makes it so hard to find and settle into a rhythm. There is always something going on: potholes, patches in the road, a power climb, a slight leveling off. Perhaps I can do better next year. I'm looking forward to tomorrow's pan flat time trial!

Cherry Pie Crit: Pack Finish

UPDATE: 34th of 66 finishers. Wow, exactly mid pack. http://www.eaglecyclingclub.org/cherrypie%20resultswebsite.htm . Congrats to Jane on her sixth place finish!

I was admittedly nervous about my first race of the season. The unknowns were my fitness, pack skills, or racing ability. The race taught me that the legs are fine. For me, crit racing is a software, not a hardware, problem.

Cherry Pie is a perennial NorCal cycling event. The first race of the season, it means that nothing is really for sure. Team alignments change, bikes change, and fitness is all over the place. Top 3 means you bring home a delicious cherry pie.

The race started fast and never slowed. Multiple groups tried to organize a break but nothing was able to stick. With 3 to go, I motored and gained a top 15 pack position. It looked like everything was strung out. I got stuck behind a rider who was unable to maintain the pace as the pack came around. With one to go there was little I could do, so I just sat in and finished with the group.

Positives:
- Weather. Conditions were a dry, sunny 25 C with 10 MPH winds. What a gorgeous day.
- Bike. The SL3 with Zipp 303s was stable, predictable, light, and fast. No cracked wheels, either.
- Fitness. I had no trouble accelerating out of turns, passing the group on the climb, or pulling into the wind. At one point I saw 55 kph on the computer. We were moving.
- No crashes.

Lessons:
- Pack skills. I was consistently about 30th-40th wheel in a pack of 80-90 riders. I've been called "unstable". Pack skills improve with time, and I know the improvements can be made.
- Course. This was my first time at Cherry Pie, so I know the lines a little better for next year. Best places to attack are the right hand turn at the bottom of the hill, just before the chicane, and on the hill.
- Individuals. Specific strong riders and teams comprise the NorCal peloton. I am more familiar with individuals, which enables me to better read the race.

Next race in two weeks?

Topsport SR Redux

The end of the Topsport SR didn't go so well for me. I hit a wheel and
did a face plant on lap 2 of 4 at 30 MPH. I managed to get back up and
(with the help of some Metromint guys) catch the field. For a number
of reasons - improper crank installation causing about 5 W of drag,
loose bar tape from the crash, loss of some gearing from the crash,
being gassed from the chase, not being able to eat and drink properly
after the crash, some blood loss, not wanting to stress my wrist - I
didn't make the selection that dropped half the field. I chased, rode
solo for the last 80 minutes, and finished about 10 minutes behind the
field. I finished "not last" in the GC, but well out of the points.
(Jane got a flat and DNF'd despite getting 2nd in the TT, so it was a
miserable day for both of us.)

Crash damage: six stitches on my chin. Swollen lower lip. Sore thumb
and wrist. Scraped, swollen knee. Broken helmet. Derailleur needs half
of a new cage, frame needs a new hanger. Disappointment and shame.
Fortunately, the frame and wheels seem fine.

I have some photos of the chin that I'll post at some point.

Topsport Stage Race: Time Trial (Stage 2)

UPDATE: 13th GC. http://www.ncncaracing.com/images/2010/TopsportStageRaceCopperResults.pdf

Just 2 hours after the end of my 90 minute circuit race, I did the time trial. The course leaves Copperopolis after route 4, and heads north and back south for 11 miles of rolling hills and bumpy terrain. I rode my Cervelo P3 with a 100mm front wheel and a disc rear. I was tired after the circuit race, and there was a fierce wind.

My time was about 25m30s, +- 2 seconds. I passed one person. I hear that the winning time was around 24 minutes (from Roman, mentioned above). Now, I passed someone, and there were a bunch of guys out there on road bikes without disc wheels, so there must have been some serious range in times!

Suggestion for next year: tune the bonuses and/or the TT course to make it actually competitive. San Dimas did this perfectly. If I'm a minute down, it is *impossible* for me to make this up unless I manage to be in a major break.

Jane did well! She got 2nd in the women's Pro-1-2-3 time trial, and a pack finish in the circuit race. She's well on her way to Cat 2! She may get her 2 before I get my 1. We'll throw a big party if one of us upgrades; hopefully we'll have one big party for both of us! The party will have cake.

Topsport Stage Race: Circuit (Stage 1)

This weekend, Topsport is hosting a brand new stage race in Copperopolis, CA. I'm in the Pro-1-2 field, which means I'm once again racing for upgrade points against those who have already upgraded.

The circuit race start was at a chilly and early 8am, which meant a bleary eyed 4:30am departure from Menlo Park. Things wree delayed, so I only had time for a short warmup.

The course featured rolling hills, one turnaround, and a few corners through town. My goals were to gain some time bonuses, and place in the top 6 for upgrade points. Although I managed to win a 5-second time bonus, I finished a disappointing 13th out of 51 starters.

For the middle third of the race, a break of about six riders with good team representation took off. They launched the attack after the corners through town, and Metromint and Webcor worked hard to block. We eventually reeled them back, but I made some enemies in the process. After the race, Roman (pro rider, Health Net) explained that I need to learn chasing skills: no cutting in line, smooth even pulls, and fewer heroics. He's right - I'm lacking a number of skills that are expected in the Pro-1-2 field, on account of my fast upgrade (4 to 2 in 4 months). Hopefully more of my teammates will attend future races.

I raced with a brand-used (i.e. not new, but new to me) wired SRM on my SL3. It took a week and a half to sort out a broken sensor cable. I was forced to install it at the last minute. In extreme haste, I left out a critical spacer. I can still race, but the crank is loose, and has about 1-2 watts of drag. Perhaps I can blame any mediocre finish on the crank...

San Dimas Stage Race: Criterium (Stage 3)

The crit went better than I had hoped. After yesterday's stages, I was 12th in the GC. My goal for today was to contend as many time bonus sprints as I could. These were at 20 and 40 minutes into the 55 minute race. I felt strong early in the race, so I managed to solo off and get a 10 second time bonus! A break stuck for the second time bonus, so I was only able to manage third. By the time the finish rolled around, I was exhausted and in a poor position, so I finished with the pack.

My efforts were not for naught. The 13 additional seconds managed to put me 9th overall, netting me 7 more lucrative Cat 1 upgrade points. Furthermore, I got enough points to win the green sprinter's jersey! Very cool.

Race Report: San Dimas Stage Race - Stage 2: San Dimas Hospital Road Race

UPDATE: 12th in GC at 41 seconds. I can still win this! Race data is online at Plus 3 Network. Check it out - you can raise money for charity by just riding your bike. Seriously. It's great.

Racing in the Cat 2 field is very different from racing with the pros, or with the local P123 field. The former is completely team dominated, whereas the latter has such a wide range of talent that the field splits quickly. The Cat 2 field today was much closer in age, experience, and strength than some other fields. I think I did well, but could have done better.

My goal for the race was to win every single "hot spot" sprint. These sprints, on laps 3, 5, and 7, were worth 10, 6, or 3 seconds in the GC. Being 42 seconds back, those seconds are very precious! I did not want to contend KOM as I'm no climber. The conditions were hot and sunny, with some shifting winds.

After the first sprint, I learned that I should do a better job of being toward the front if I was going to contend these. I won the second sprint, and placed third in the final sprint, winning me 13 seconds. If nothing changed, I'm now 17th in the GC. The correct strategy was to attack the KOM climb, blast downhill, and hold the lead to the line.

I made a serious error in waiting for the pack after the last sprint, with one to go. The pack was tired and dehydrated after two hours. The winner soloed off the front and gained a ton of time. Had I not waited for the pack, I could have held off the pack, gained 20 seconds, and won. The pack finish was disappointing.

Race Report: San Dimas Stage Race - Stage 1: Glendora Hill Climb Time Trial

15m06.03s, 25/114 @ 43.24 s.

The Sam Dimas HCTT featured about 1350 feet of climbing over the course of just under four miles. This meant 5 to 8 percent grades, many switchbacks, and winning times of about 14 minutes in the Cat 2 field. I did a pre-ride of the course this morning, in order to watch Jane finish, and I'm glad I did. I discovered, quickly, that a good choice of line would be crucial to performing well on the course.

I need to work on my pacing. Due to a number of colluding factors, I did not have a power meter for this race. I used heart rate and RPE for pacing. My heart rate was pinned at 175 BPM for almost the entire climb. I thought I paced myself well, but that I could have pushed just a tiny bit harder, especially at the end.

My time was just over 15 minutes and 6 seconds. My guess was that the winning time would be 14m20s - and I was right! Unfortunately, there are plenty of people up top. I'm currently in 25th place out of 115 riders, and 41 seconds behind. There are some opportunities to gain time in primes tomorrow and Sunday. I need to work very hard, as I won't get any points at all unless I'm in 15th place or higher! I want to place in the road race and crit, and take a few primes if possible.

Race Report: Monterey CCCX #2

The Monterey CCCX was a windy circuit race in Monterey, CA. It was the same weekend as the Madera stage race. Knowing that most of the local strong riders would be at Madera, I knew this would be a valuable opportunity to scrape some upgrade points to Cat 1. I was right! About 25 riders appeared for the Pro-1-2-3 field. The course was a roughly 4 mile loop on rolling hills, with a fierce wind. Early in the race, the top 10 or so riders broke away from the pack. There were numerous attacks, including a four man super-break that stuck for a while, but a lack of teamwork and strong wind brought everything back together. The last two miles of the race were a long match sprint. No one wanted to work, or attack into the wind. I found a strong wheel on a Cal Giant rider (who?), and managed to contest a field sprint for third place. All of that specific sprint work seems to have paid off! The SL3 was the perfect bike for the race - light, stiff, and comfortable.

Race Report: Merco Foothills Road Race, 2010-03-07

One bit summary: 0. One word summary: “meh”.

It was a beautiful, sunny spring day with mostly calm winds for my first every Pro-1-2 road race. Though the course was mostly flat with some rolling hills and a few climbs, the CF2 still felt too slow and heavy. Our race was 5 24-mile laps, giving 120 miles in about 4 hours and 30 minutes.

After a relatively slow first lap, things really picked up in the second lap. Team tactics played a role as teams sent one person up the road and used the other five to block. I was in a good position to latch on to one of the chase groups, but just didn’t have the legs to bridge. At that point, I knew the race was over: the break would stick and it would be a pack finish. I was right.
The remainder of the race varied from medium to fast pace, and we managed to whittle down the lead group’s gap to 60 seconds, from 115. My usual fueling strategy worked perfectly. I felt strong at the end of the ride. A few rolling hills split the pack in the last 5km. I hung on with the group and finished 33rd, out of probably 120 starters.

Racing in the Pro-1-2 field is very different from collegiate racing. The field is much bigger and the races are longer and faster. The average age and experience level is much higher. National and World champion, and Olympians, comprise much of the field. There were the usual Pro field road race antics, too. Teams sent a representative to the feed zone to get a musette bag full of goodies for other riders. Teams conspired to control the pack and send people off the front. There was chatting when the pace was low. Some guys took a, er, “break” while riding, often with the help of a teammate pushing them along. It was fun to see. It was also frustrating: without any teammates present, I had no help in the pack.

It will be very hard to impossible for me to get any Cat 1 upgrade points in races like this. I need to target races with less decorated pro riders, and I need teammates. For these reasons, I’ve decided to skip the Madera stage race next week in favor of local races.

Compared to collegiate, the personality of the field is different. There was shoving and elbowing as people pushed their way through the field. At one point, I was at the front of the pack trying to help catch the break, admittedly not doing a perfect job of pulling through. Someone told me to “pull through and get the f*** out”. I’m sure my relative lack of experience played a role, but I certainly wasn’t making many friends today. Collegiate racers, in comparison, are usually gentlemen.

In any event, it’s good to know that I can hang with some of the fastest fields out there in cycling today. This weekend provided valuable data and experience that I will use to calibrate my racing routines. This is all a learning experience, after all.

Jane got 2nd in her Cat 4 women’s race. That was her last race as a 4. Congratulations, Jane!

One of the pro riders this weekend – Rashaan Bahati – has an eponymous team and foundation that helps kids in need get scholarships and racing help. It sounds like a good deal, so make sure to check out their Web site: http://www.bahatifoundation.org/

Race Report: Merco Downtown Criterium, 2010-03-06

One bit summary: 0. One word summary: “grumble”.

This was the second Pro-1-2 crit that I managed to finish. The course was similar to last week’s Merced crit course: flat with multiple challenging technical corners. Prior to the start of the race, the announcers called forward team representatives and other noteworthy figures to the start line. One was Will Dugan, of East Coast fame (notoriety?). I cheered, “ECCC!” when he rolled forward.

A good start is important in a Pro-1-2 crit, as it is hard to move through the pack on a technical course. After about 15 laps (of 50), I was able to learn good lines through the turns, and learn where to move up in the pack. It took a conscious effort, but I was able to gain about 4 spots every lap. The Pro-1-2 men are pretty good pack handlers, better than any field I’ve seen before.

Unfortunately, I had a mechanical issue. I decided to race my Fuji Aloha CF2 this weekend, as its Quarq power meter would give interesting data for the weekend. I also decided to race my Zipp 808 clincher wheels, as they are slightly faster than my 404 tubulars in good conditions. I kept the 12-25 cassette that was on the 808s. These were all mistakes. Whenever I sprinted, I could feel the heavy bike and wheels resisting my effort. Sure, once I got the whole consist up to speed, everything was fine, but it wasn’t as awe-inspiringly fast as my SL3. Furthermore, I realized that I could gain a few additional positions every lap by sprinting out of the last turn in the chicane. Unfortunately, I was usually in the 53-13 or 53-12 while doing this (it was a fast race), so I threw my chain several times. I swear – I’ve NEVER had good front shifting with the CF2-Quarq setup. Either the CF2 is not stiff under load, or the Quarq is not laterally stiff. I’ve used several different chain rings and always have some trouble.

The mechanical issues meant that I was afraid to put any power into the pedals. Dropping a chain meant having 10 people pass me and losing several laps of progress. So, despite moving from near the very back of a 120-person pack to a top 30 position, lack of faith in my equipment kept me from trying any harder. I finished with the pack.

Jane won her Cat 4 race, and an impressive trophy to go with it. She’ll upgrade to Cat 3 for the Madera Stage Race, and use her new Fuji Aloha TT bike. It was a cheap eBay frame built with my spare TT bike parts.

Needless to say, the CF2 is now a training-only bike, and I’m debating selling the Quarq. I need to get power on that SL3. The MetriGear Vector is the top choice, once it becomes available. The other option – SRM – is still too finicky for my taste.

Mount Diablo in 51:22.8

This weekend, I ventured to Mount Diablo with some coworkers. We participated in the Mount Diablo Challenge, a timed non-competitive climb of 3350 feet over 10.96 miles. I posted full ride data from the climb.

The usual disclaimer applies: I'm out of shape, haven't been riding much, and don't have the genetic graces to have the wiry climber build. Watching me climb is like watching an A380 take off: you can't give it grief for being slow, since it's amazing that it gets off the ground at all.

With that said, my time on the course - 51 minutes 22.8 seconds - was a new personal best by default, and good for 23rd place overall, 5th in the 19-29 age bracket. The course record floats around 44 minutes, and a ProTour climber could probably do it in about 40. (I raced with bib #10. I switched places with Rich Stevens.) I had my brand-new Zipp 303s on my Fuji Aloha with Quarq power meter, yielding a 16.8 pound bike. My goal for next year is below 50 minutes.

At the top of the hill, I met none other than Frank Day, proprietor of PowerCranks. We had a good chat about my results with the cranks.

Track Nationals: Day One

I've received an unusual number of requests to be prompt with information about Nats. I'm glad that so many people are interested in this race!

I graduated from MIT in August, but I'm here with the MIT team at track nationals. Since I was a summer student (working on my thesis), I am still eligible to participate at Nationals. I'm happy to be here - it's a good chance to see some old friends and have some fun on the bicycle. I had to fly out just for the race, on the velodrome here in Trexlertown, PA.

Today's events were the individual pursuits. In the morning, the men raced the clock over 4km (12 laps), the women over 3km (9 laps). In the afternoon, the men chased the kilometer, and the women, 500 meters.

Our results were strong. I raced a 4k time of 5m10.246s, enough for 19th place (top third) in a strong field, and just enough to earn some team omnium points. I did not race the kilo. My gearing for the 4k - 50/14 - made me faster, but it will take some time for me to really dial my gearing. Of course, I'm not a track specialist, certainly not a sprint specialist, and far from top form. I'm happy to post competitive times.

MIT's results today:

4k (3k) 1k (500m)
Mike Garrett 4:57.222 1:10.975
Jose Soltren 5:10.246 null
Tim Humpton 5:33.604 1:19.940
Nick Loomis 5:44.101 1:16.155
Guo-Liang Chew 5:43.416 1:16.760
Zach LaBry 5:24.666 1:20.814
Matt Blackburn 6:11.296 1:25.957
Martha Buckley 4:27.192
Laura Ralston 4:18.380 42.x
Yuri Matsumoto null 44.x

We're in the Division 2 team omnium lead after the morning's events, with our closest competitors Kutztown performing very well. We're looking forward to tomorrow.

For complete results or more information, please see usacycling.org.

Glory

I am the 2009 Category 3 overall race winner for the 50th Annual Fitchburg Longsjo Classic.

At the start of the Fitchburg race, I wanted exactly two things. One, I wanted the rain to stop - it had been raining for an entire month! Two, I wanted to earn enough upgrade points to be a Cat 2. Nothing more, nothing less.

I was lucky to have a strong time trial performance, strong enough to gain some time on the field. I was just as lucky to maintain my lead through the circuit race, not get dropped on the road race climbs, and not fall victim to the two crashes in today's criterium. With that, I took home the leader's jersey, and the stage race win.

Nothing comes easily, and I wanted to make certain that I held my lead. I wrote numbers on my bike, calculated times, reviewed results, scrutinized the courses, and spent hours tuning three race bikes. I made sure that no breaks stuck, and did much of my own work. For this, I gained some respect in the field.

Winning the Cat 3 overall, with a few other placings, ought to be enough for my Cat 2 upgrade. I look forward to racing at the next level.

My heartfelt thanks go to the City of Fitchburg and the Fitchburg Cycling Club for organizing such a fantastic event; to the MIT Cycling Team (and headline sponsor FXDD) for helping me to race at this level; and to the good men in the Cat 3 field, who made it a good, fun, and (mostly) safe race.

(Photos and final results will be in a later post.)

More Of The Same

So: Take yesterday's circuit race course. Scale it by about 500 percent. That's right: make it five times longer, and five times taller. (Only make it last for three times as long.) That's about what today's road race was like.

The brutal winter of 2009 convinced the State of Massachusetts to bury some power lines near the road that climbs Mount Wachusett, so the Longsjo race's notorious climb was not a factor. Points became incredibly contentious, as racers dueled for points every single lap. After two laps, I was able to pick out who were the good climbers. I made sure to keep them in check.

The weather was fabulous for bicycle racing, sunny and in the 80s. The race course, running through the woods, shielded us from the worst of the sun and wind. The big climb was exposed to both, so I compensated by pouring about 500mL of water over my head each lap.

I entered the race with the leaders jersey, and I wanted to hold on to it! I made certain that happened, by staying at the front of the pack and covering the few attacks that happened. The consensus was that I worked quite hard in the race, which is unusual for a race leader. Old habits die hard.

Michael, the other MIT Cat 3 in the race, did not finish. This means I don't have any teammates tomorrow! I was able to make a few friends today, including a tall gentleman on a black Soloist, who helped me stay toward the front. Thank you.

Our field was neutralized three times, and even stopped one of those times, to allow the juniors and the masters to pass. I guess young boys and old men are more feisty than the Cat 3 crowd.

At the finish, I decided to conserve my energy and not duel for the big stage win. I may have lost a few seconds doing so, but I'm still in yellow.

My goals for tomorrow's crit: don't crash, don't get dropped, and finish with the pack. I don't want points or the win. I want to keep my leader's jersey, and I want my Cat 2 upgrade. I hope everything goes smoothly tomorrow.

Now, where did I put that ice cream? Ah yes, here it is. Delicious.

An Unimpressive Finish, But Still First

Logistics were delayed this morning, as I needed to pick up my leader's jersey, and then spend a long time pinning numbers to it. I know, I know: cry me a river. I like to have these little things done before leaving!

Today's circuit race was as I expected. It was an overgrown crit, with a long, shallow downhill and a sharp uphill finish. The race was unremarkable: my goals were to stay upright and finish with the lead, and I did just that. Racing was a little dicier than I would have liked at the end, so I finished far from the front. Meh. At least I get to hold on to the leader's jersey - which means I don't have to do any more pinning tomorrow!

As one of the race leaders, I had to do the whole (mandatory!) interview and podium procedure. The announcers asked me what I thought of the race (I'm glad there were no crashes), and how I thought I would do tomorrow (we'll see - I'm not a super climber). I even had my ceremonial podium moment, complete with photos.

Maybe this is why Lance enjoys winning?

So I Won The ITT...

I've been looking forward to the Fitchburg race all week, nay, all month. I've been fiddling with bikes and doing lots of mental preparation. So, it's really encouraging that I did well in today's Men's Cat 3 ITT stage.

The TT bike received new, chicane-extension aerobars, and a wheel upgrade. Today, I used a Zipp 808 clincher front wheel (heavy!), and the usual Zipp 900 tubular disc in the rear. I had a 404 tubular, but I figured faster was better than lighter. I was right!

I looked at the junior's and master's results at work today. It looked like 19 minutes was the time to beat to place in the top 3, so I made that my goal. Although I passed four people (we were spaced at 30 second intervals), I failed to meet my personal goal by 5.40s. The 19:05.40 was still good for first place in the Cat 3 field, though. I voraciously consumed 100 grams of chocolate ice cream in celebration.

Tomorrow brings the 28 mile circuit race. It's a 3 mile loop, really an overgrown crit or something really similar to a Prospect Park race. My goal is to stay up and stay toward the front, trying to hold on to my lead. Of course, I have to wear a (mandatory!) leader's jersey, so I'll be a marked man. (At least I get a free shirt out of it.)

Thank you and goodnight.

Race Report: USAC Collegiate Road National Championships

I've taken a long time between entries here. I can describe Nationals in just a few words:

"I wasn't feeling great, the men were disorganized, and the weather didn't do us any favors. We got second place overall."

Oh well, what's done is done. I'm now spending many hours preparing for Fitchburg, so stay tuned!

Race Report: EASTERNS

This was a good weekend for MIT; although we didn't win the weekend, we did win the overall ECCC title, meaning that we are the number one cycling team in the Northeast! It was a less fantastic weekend for me, personally.

For starters, I was not feeling well going into this weekend. Be it allergies, a cold, or some form of H1N1, my lungs were full of mucus and I was feeling ache-y. Secondly, I was exhausted after driving all the way from MIT to State College; driving for eight hours was probably not the best idea. Finally, this was my second consecutive week of not riding enough. I think the mortgage folks have a good word for my performance this weekend: subprime.

The team trial, typically my strength, did not go well this weekend. The foggy, humid weather caused my visor to fog completely, leading to a bad turnaround and inability to see on the course. Communication and equipment issues made our run less smooth than I would have liked. We finished fourth.

The road race was easily the most difficult ride I've ever done, race or not. Every 21-mile lap featured 2,500 feet of climbing. I was able to hang with the pack for the first lap, but come lap two, I bonked. My heart rate and power numbers were telling me that I was not working hard, but I felt terrible! I was pulled after the third lap, not finishing the last lap of the race, and not placing in the points. We don't have hills like that Black Moshannon in Massacusetts. No fair.

Sunday's criterium was my redemption. It was fast from the gun. I raced strong, staying with the lead group and riding most of the pack off our wheel. Just as I was lining up for my end of race tactical move, bad luck struck. I got a flat, which caused me to take a spill on the last corner with two laps to go. The race was over. I finished in the points, but this result was a huge disappointment.

Hopefully, Nationals will be better for me!