Well, I don't suck--but I kind of do.
Last year's edition of the Martinez Crit was contested in a driving rain, and I ended my Elite 4 race on the courthouse steps after a guy slid out right in front of me on turn one. I bunny-hopped his head, the curb, and the lower steps of the county building. Fun. This year's edition was graced with beautiful weather--but sense memory can still cause a pucker, you know?
I've been dorking around with various warm-ups this year--easy spinning with high cadence vs. progressions to threshold, etc. Yesterday I followed a Judd plan: easy, stretch, easy to medium, easy to hard, easy to hard, sprint-recover, sprint-recover, easy. 45 minutes on a trainer sucks, but it was worth it since I took legs of iron to the line. I felt freaking awesome.
Morgan Stanley had a huge cadre of riders, as did VOS and Wells Fargo. AMD (Larry Nolan) was not in evidence, but it was a very quality field. The race strung out from the gun--I started d 50ish and slowly passed 3-4 people a lap for about 6 laps, but then disaster struck. On the last turn into the homestretch on lap 7(?) I came around the corner in about 20th place and found the road covered with bodies. Well, maybe four or five. I cut hard inside and missed a hay baled parking meter by inches. Of course, I dropped from top 30 to 60th or so in about 10 seconds. Then, more hell erupted. Guys in front of me kept getting gapped as the pack accelerated and went single file after the crash. I closed down 4-5 good-size gaps in the next 2-3 laps, sprinting like mad to get on each time. Of course, the entire second half of the field sat on my wheel as I towed them across all the little holes. When another guy stacked it in the same turn 3 laps later, I sat up--cracked, demoralized, and a bit freaked. I spent two laps trying to get out of my head, but by then I was half a lap down with about 10 other guys sitting on, and we got pulled two laps later. Sh*t. I later heard that there was a THIRD crash in the same corner on the bell lap...and they say the Master's 1/2/3 is the safest category to race.
The Elite 3 was anti-climactic. Stephen, Zach, and Chris all suited up; Stephen stayed in the top 20 all race; Zach and I surfed too far back to influence the race at all, and I lacked the power to move up on the outside or the balls to wiggle through up the middle. I simply spent 50 minutes just below threshold, berating my cowardice, ineptitude, and sloth. Anybody who tells you cycling isn't just as mentally demanding as any other sport is either stupid or lying.
Next weekend I race a flat collegiate criterium in Santa Barbara. I intend to win it or lead out our other sprinter for the win. If one of us doesn't take it, I'll be appalled. Then a rest week follows in preparation for the conference championship TTT in Reno. After that, my Aggie career comes to a formal conclusion and I'll be a full-time DBC Geezer again.
Racing sucks. Or rocks. Depends on the day.
E.O'B.
Eric O'Brien Martinez Double! 35+123/ Elite 3
Karl Wurzbach, Martinez Crit 4/5
Alarm is off at 7am and getting breakfast ready for the kids b4 I go to the race. I was on the wait list but first in line so I was pretty sure I would get in and I did. Warmup was short b/c line for check in was long and then had to go back when reg. was closed. Maybe 15 min. but legs felt good and was able to ride the course which was very similar to Davis Crit but a few slight hills. Very narrow streets. Did I mention we had 4 crashes in our race?
I started in the back and planned to hang out for 5 or 6 laps of the .9 mile loop. The pack was strung out over about 300 yds and I started moving up on 1 of 2 straight-aways and got to the front 5 in about another 6 laps. Back and forth in the top ten and then in 2nd with 3 laps to go feelin' good. Just passed the finish with 2 laps to go they neutralize the race due to a crash.
6 neutral laps later they stop the race for 15 minutes while the ambulance comes. Crap!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry for the guys that were down but the sprinters who just grabbed the last prime with 4 laps to go got their legs back. They re-started and gave us 5 laps to finish and it was a frenzy the first lap, slow the second and then someone took off and me and another caught his wheel after a couple hundred yds. The field caught up and another guy took off and I was in second and gave chase with 2 to go and caught him over the next 300 yds. but took a bit out of me. I sat on him the rest of the way as he was pulling strong. Coming off the last turn is 200yds+ to the finish and I went right around him and gunned it. 100 to go I shifted into a harder gear (mistake) got passed by 1 with 50 to go then another and 3 about 5 yds from the line.
I know what you're saying Fred (gotta stop gettin' swarmed at the line!) It'll come with the consistent training. My speed comes from my strength which hopefully gets better as the season progresses. If the race hadn't been halted I really feel that this was one to win or at worst be top three, but it is what it is and I'm happy with the outcome as I'm learning more and more each race. I really want to hear about Ward's Ferry and what happened there with the team. See you guys soon.
Karl