Shelled

Well, I was pleased as punch with two solid pack finishes in my new category last weeked at Depauw University.

This past weekend, not so much.

I was a little nervous because the course profiles were hilly and I've had trouble hanging in on climbs in the past. The Mizzou and Lindenwood races told me that was still the case.

The Mizzou race had a couple of longer, steepish climbs. The field drilled it on the first one, I gave it everything to stay on the front, then I popped and was off the back.

Done. I chased with a teammate for half a lap, but we both knew we were toast. My right calf started cramping so I said "See ya" to Fosler and my chase group of 4. Soft pedalled to the end of the lap, and gave the officials a knife-across-the-throat gesture.

499's out.

I made it 23 of the slated 46 miles. Disappointing to get dropped by the pack and then a DNF, but whatchyagonna do. Climbs ain't my thing. So I guess I should climb more.

Big ups to Devon Haskell of the university of Chicago. She's been racing in the women's A field and winning solo every weekend. She moved up into my category and took 4th with the strong guys on this bastard of a race. Big, big ups.

I fared a little better in the Lindenwood crit (cool campus, by the way). The course flyer advertised it as "flat with one shallow climb." My kind of coure. Short power climbs don't usually bother me so much, especially if the remainder of the course is flat.

Ummmmm.

Well. There really wasn't much that was flat on the course. The lap started with a slight incline, dipped down, took a hard right into the steepest climb, another right into a shallow uphill, a left into a steeper uphill, a hard left into a fast descent, and then another hard left onto a shallow climb to the finish.

"Fuck me." I thought when I saw the riders on it in the earlier races. I threw my heart rate monitor back in the car. My max from the day prior was 196 and I spent 20 minutes at or above threshold. I knew the climbs were going to push me hard...and I didn't really want to know.

Our race was 35 minutes + 5 laps. I lasted for about 30 minutes (maybe 10 - 11 laps) then cracked completely on the top of the steepest climb. I hooked up with a teammate and we soft pedalled but finished.

I have no idea how hard I was working, but I never got a break. I had to give it everything I had to hang with the field on the climbs, they would usually start to gap me, then when they slowed at the top I'd have to chase back on. I was pretty much gasping the whole race and never got a rest. Hard course for me. And with a couple of strong guys setting a hot pace up the inclines, I couldn't stay up in the field. Being at the back forces a sprint out of every turn. Sprinting out of every turn leaves you tired and unable to keep up with the pack. It was a slippery slope that ultimately resulted in getting lapped.

Oh well. At least CES made it out to the races. I got to chat with him a bit and that was cool. In retrospect, I should have asked him to bring the slosh pipe out for a post race "cool down," further complexing the "Jesse Bond engima" with the UW cycling community.

"We don't know what he was doing." This Guy showed up with this thing. He kept trying to pick it up over his head.

Anyway. Would have been fun, but regardless, it was great to meet the man, the myth, the CES.

Props to Patrick Hubrigste from our own UW Madison squad. He upgraded from the C's field this weekend and soloed off the front at the Lindenwood crit for the W and some big conference points. Props also to Devon Haskell. I tried all race during the crit to hold her wheel and just couldn't do it. You have to respect those that are just stronger than you, plain and simple.