Well, mission(s) accomplished this morning - rubber side down, stayed attached in both 5 and 4/5 races, two points. Learned quite a bit, and will have to shake some frustration from the 5 race:
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Ignored my friend’s advice and hung back way too much. I’ll need to gain some confidence to get in there and mix it up. I’m plenty fit enough, no question there, and was never in the red in either event. I spent about half the 5 race toward the back, half working to the front. The 4/5 race I never advanced past midpack. That’s just inexperience and not being confident moving through the field.
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I did pretty well identifying good lines, maintaining momentum, but still rode the brakes more than I’d like because of position. That said, I was able to ID the disasters in the field and put them behind me. A few guys who seemed fairly strong were just all over the damn place.
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The 5 race actually ended up in a pretty good situation for me, I just didn’t recognize it and have the confidence to act. The laps ended with a slight uphill grade, and if there wasn’t an attack on, the field was content to slow down. I could put in a moderate acceleration, work an outside line and carry momentum through two turns and end up right at the front pretty easily without a very hard effort at all.
So… approaching the end of the second to last lap, I entered said section mid-pack, came out wide, put in a modest acceleration as the field slowed, and was up at second wheel as we approached the line. Then…
Instead of attacking like I should have, I was content to just sit at the front for basically a quarter lap. Realizing I’d missed my chance, I pulled out to the wind to make someone else work too, and eventually just sat up and finished in the field as I’d given up good lines and wasn’t going to risk a wreck to try to contend when my goal was simply to finish. (Plus I had a second race to do).
I’m disappointed that I didn’t compete there at the end. I had gas in the tank. I’m sure when I look at my power file, I’m going to be upset seeing my HR low and power not terribly high. I could’ve at least thrown in a solid attack at the bell, maybe I get a gap, maybe I don’t, but at least I tried instead of what I did, which was nothing effective.
But that’s my only disappointment today. I learned a lot. I tailgunned way too much, but got some experience in the pack, learned what happens when you take a bad line and slow (the field just moves right past you!) the hard way, got some practice moving up, and won’t make that same mistake again.
I need more practice and need to gain confidence. Fitness is there. I belong near the front at the end in these races. As the guys say, I’ve got the ticket to the dance, now I just need to stop stepping on my own feet!
Had fun! Two points; two collarbones intact!