Chain of Lakes Road Race and TT (4-2-11)

After all the crashes and the disappointment I had in the Tampa Crit....I thought a Road Race would be a good way to break out of my funk. Plus, I thought trying a Time Trial would be "fun" to do on the same day. I decided to try again the CAT4s....I knew Craig and David were going to racing that along with some of my GearLink team mates.

Well some team mates help out by watching Sadie for me and I go to get warmed up. It's a big field and the double-yellow line is going to be strictly enforced which means a NASCAR style road race where getting in position will be very tough. True to form, the CAT4s bunch up, attack, set in and bunch up again...interval work and very frustrating to race. On lap two I end up getting pushed off the road by a guy; I recover nicely by "calmly" riding off the road for 10 meters than gently coming back on the road without missing a beat. To say that I'm happy that I didn't freak out and go down is an understatement and the guy that caused it was really bumming that he cause it. No blood, no foul.
It takes me 1 & 1/2 laps on the 13 mile course to work my way up to the front...we slow up again and I say "f it" and go to the front to pull hard and try to string the group out. Two others come up with me and will work but the "Colombians" are more than happy to chase and then sit in/bunch up. Good grief.
So I try to keep in good position for the remainder of the race and will try to lead out a couple of my team mates who are doing well in the points classification. I get great position and talk with Jason on what I'm thinking about and then at the 2K sign to the finish, I suddenly have a terrible cramp in my left thigh....I let Jason know and try to spin out the cramp losing positions as I do. I spin out the cramp and think I can still sprint for a pretty good finish. Well during the race there were 2-4 strong but squirrely riders and I was able to keep away from them most of the time...unfortunately one goes for the sprint, freaks out and somehow losing a tubie right in front of me....
I end up going off road again and almost getting knocked over...I jump back on the road but the best I can do at that point is 19th. Can you see me in the two photos?

Bummer. But that's FL racing.

So in less than 2 hours after finishing the roadrace I'll be doing my first TT ever Merckx style. Let's just say it was 8 miles of pain and hoping I wouldn't cramp up, start crying like a little gurl and be able to finish it. I ended up around 19th in the CAT4s. My lame data on that is here. The course started down hill with the wind at your back, then some rollers with the wind at your side and finishing with the uphill and the wind dead on. I'm glad I tried it and would like to try the fixie at the Ft Desoto TT sometime.

I'm missing my BMC SLX01 by the way.....

Ciao,
Rick