So I’ve been blessed with wonderful warm weather for the past week while we’ve been down in Orlando (actually Winter Park), Florida and have been able to get in a ton of flat, fast training that all built up to this morning’s training race – the “End of 2008 Criterium” here in Orlando, FL.
The race was setup in a subdivision in the early stages of construction that looked to have its construction suspended due to the struggling economy. The roads had been completed, as had the model homes, but hardly anything else. The course consisted of 8 turns per lap, both left and right, with turn one being the only real tight turn.
My race, the “B” race, a 30 minute plus three laps, consisting of Cat4 & Cat5 racers (and as it turned out, a lot of the “A” racers as well) started a little after 8am. The race started out pretty quick right off the bat, with the forty odd riders all streaking out from the start. After a few laps, everyone started picking their lines and flying around the course.
Probably ten laps into the race, after coming out of the course’s second turn on a straightaway, there was a gnarly crash. That a bunch of us right behind the guy barely were able to dodge. At the time, we weren’t sure what had happened as it wasn’t in a turn, but it seems the rider touched wheels with the wheel in front of him and there was a brake squeal before the older gentlemen made it. I barely missed, pushing hard to the right of the crash, and picked up the pace to attach to those who had been ahead of the crash.
Throughout the rest of the race, I had Amanda, Greg S., Randi and Suzie’s voices nagging inside my head telling me to keep out of the wind, conserve and sit in. I was patient and for the most part did sit in. I tried several times to move up, but when I’d pass on the inside or outside, I ended up losing any positions in the next turn due to being setup in a less than optimal line.
The 30+ minutes of the race absolutely flew by, and I felt good and strong throughout. With three laps to go, the pace accelerated and I stuck with the lead group. In the final sprint for the finish, a guy accidentally unclipped and unceremoniously ate it, which caused a bunch of us to let up slightly and swerve wide to the finish line. They only scored the first through third positions, so I don’t have an official report, but from Amanda’s photographs (to be posted soon), I got either tenth or eleventh.
I was pretty proud of that result, as I wasn’t completed wiped out at any point through the race and my bike handled wonderfully through the turns and accelerating out of them. I was lucky enough to not be involved in either crash, despite fairly close proximity to both. I was also really satisfied keeping up with all these Florida riders who are used to fast and flat and very little offseason. Did I mention how great it’s been over the holiday, riding daily (and sometimes twice) in short-sleeved jerseys and bib shorts?
Below is a link to my GPS data, along with a quick clip from YouTube of my race. I’m visible briefly… very briefly in the little race.
“B” Race – End of 2008 Criterium, Orlando, Florida