Sunday, February 21, 2010

OUT OF CONFERENCE

Saturday morning we all met at campus and loaded up into the exploder for a day trip to Enon,N.C. for ETSU's very first ever road race albeit "out of conference". We arrived after the TT and the A & B classes were already on the course. My car held a load of C & D riders and we raced at 1pm. Collegiate classes are A,B,C and D, A being the best. We have no idea of what we were getting ourselves into but we wanted to diversify the club to all venues of cycling this year and road racing was first on the radar. After we arrived we just chilled out for about an hour. We then headed down to registration where we found a sign that said registration closed til 1230.Mmmmmmm ok. We returned around 1215 and waited, and waited, and waited then about 1245 then some dude shows up in only a pair cycling bibs on after he had raced the B class. We were second in line and when it was our turn he asked who we were and when he found out we were "out of conference" he made step aside and wait until all "conference" riders were taken care of first. Yes, we were a little miffed along with a couple UNC Asheville riders also. OK, after he gets all that taken care of it's 1:15, we FINALLY get our numbers and the start of the race has been pushed out to 130, there goes any chance of warmimg up. I was disappointed now and knew this was going to be a mess. I would redline quickly without a doubt now. (sounds like my CX style of racing)

Finally we got rolling about 1:35 and what a cluster. I expected to be riding defensively for at least for the first half of the race, I was right! The first five miles was a constant speed up slow down for no apparent reasons other than idiots not focusing on the matter at hand. The first mile a couple get together and crash. A small descent later sent two guys panic braking, running off the road and nearly folding a wheel in half, it was ridiculous. I told Schyler and Ben we needed to be in the first third of the group or we were in trouble. Thing was we couldn't pass because the center line rule was in effect and we were riding three abreast for the first 6-7 miles, not good! On the second and last climb of the 11 mile lap, half way up we come to a freakin' stop from about 18mph. Jeeezzzzz WTF??????? I swear I have never been in a road race with such idiots that could not manage to pay attention, maybe it's the age of collegiate riders? ADD? Who knows, anywho this managed to split the group. First group had about 25 riders in it and pulled a good 150 yards from this fiasco. We managed to get around these goobers then Schyler and I tried to pick up the pace but my legs were on fire from not getting to warm up and I was paying for it. Ben, our strongest rider, managed to gap back and get with the main group ( Go Ben!). I fell back off a short climb and lost my 4 man group that I was in with Schyler and never got back to them so I rode 25 miles by myself! After I got the first 10.7 mile lap in I looked down and I had managed an average of 21.8 for the first lap, wow! That's not my style of riding especially starting "cold". I settled into about a 18-19 avg and started feeling much better. I was able to keep that average for the last two laps and actually felt really good after I toned it down a bit. I did manage to catch and pass 5 more riders before the finish, one guy tried to wheel suck me but I fishtailed away from him and he gave up. Ben managed to stay mostly with the lead group and Schyler finished a little ahead of me - all I know is I'm not in shape to be racing road this early in the year, who am I kidding? I'm not in shape to be racing anything this early in the year, but this is very useful information for next year though.
talking pre-race strategy with Schyler

the new kits look good I think, the yellow leg and arm warmers look better than I thought they would

Matt was racing in the D class and he said that that class busted up quickly after the start. It's funny but the leader of the D class caught the back of the C class half way into the second lap. When he came around me I asked "are you the D leader?" he says "yea" my smarta** comment was "seriously?" with a condescending "jezzzzzzzzz" thrown in for good measure. Why do racers do this? (sandbag) Anywho, most peeps know how I feel about sandbaggers.....

After it was all said and done we gained valuable collegiate racing experience that I can hopefully use later and pass on. We threw everything in the car and were kinda in a hurry. Ben was starving and wanted food NOW. A couple of us wanted to get back asap so we headed south of the border for a get it and go stop. I was yearning for some Mellow Mushroom that recently opened here in town and a bunch from the NTMBA had plans to meet at 7, that was my motivation. After arriving back on campus I got a text from Captain Dingo stating there was 1.5hr wait and they were heading for Jack's. I go there with Angie quite frequently so I passed, I was really wanting MM but it would have to wait. Next weekend we head to Statesboro, Ga. for ETSU's first official road race IN conference. Oh, the kits look super sweet. I will post a pic as soon as Ben gets it to me. We ran the leg and arm warmers and they actually looked good. I will post a pic asap. Today I tackled this speech I have been procrastinating on, I was able to finish it and get a light spin in on the road bike to loosen the legs and it felt GOOD. I'm sooo not in shape to be racing right now! Anyone that reads this send me some ju-ju or something I NEED IT!



LAter G........................................

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Here's all the good ju-ju I can muster.

Sounds like it was entertaining at least! Aren't you glad it wasn't a CRIT?! Your spiffy BMC might have been expensive matchsticks!

SCOOBY'S SNACKS said...

yea but in a crit you CAN pass

Joshua Stamper said...

At least when I sandbag in a college road race I do it on a Single Speed. Finished 21 out of 44 in C Race. I lost most of my positions on the DH, but I have never been so scared in my life.
Riding in that pack was like being in a room full of monkeys with loaded handguns

SCOOBY'S SNACKS said...

Tech. ability I should ride B but my fitness is a D. Yea it was stupid how dangerous it was. ADD and ADHD ran amuck in the group.

monkeys and handguns....decribes it pretty close Joshua!