More crit racing updates!

Since my first ever official crit race, I came down with a bout of bronchitis. This is my 2^nd within 2018 but it wasn’t as severe as the episode in June. I only took 2 full weeks off the bike rather than 6.

I eased myself back on the saddle during the Melbourne Cup weekend with a ride with my friend along Beach Road. It was a good leisurely ride which we chatted the entire way through. I then picked up a session on the Wattbike on the Melbourne Cup holiday instead of a ride outside due to the hail/thunderstorm followed by a few laps around Albert Park Lake with the Lead Out Cycling crew.

Footscray Cycling Club hosted a novice crit race of 30min + 3 laps with the first 20min as controlled riding. I had never raced at VU before and because it was rest week for Lead Out, I decided to take up this opportunity to do something different.

The ride started at 12pm so it gave me a sleep in, an actual breakfast and I left the house at 10:30am to arrive in Hoppers Crossing at 11:30 ready for the 12pm start – such luxury!

I recognised a few people there which was good for the nerves and we then rode the course a few times to get ourselves familiar with the route and terrain. There is a small climb in the race which ended up being to my detriment during the actual race.

We left for the 20min controlled ride which was good and we had several marshals with us which allowed others to learn about bunch riding and rolling turns. When the signal was heard that the actual race has started, some were eager to go off and see if they could hold off others. Due to the location of the course and the terrain, it was not easy. This course is windy no matter how calm the general Melbourne area is, this course is just ridiculously windy!

I stayed on the front group for about 5 laps which included a sprint up the hill to test out the legs (and lungs) which proved to be a bad move considering my heart rate shot up too high (around 190bpm) and sadly didn’t go down as we went around the course again. I couldn’t hold on the main group and then pedaled slowly so that I could catch the next train coming through. I ended up riding with the 2^nd group for another 2 laps until I found it extremely difficult to breathe and decided to call it a day. I supported the remainder of the group until the end and stuck around for the awards and photo.

Pinned on number for FCC Crit

Novice Group

Chatty crits

I had pulled a muscle on my lower back during Pilates on Friday morning and I needed that remediated before Sunday’s crit at SKCC so a massage was sorted. I originally booked for a 90min massage but the session ended up being 60min. At the start of the session the massage person asked me something but I totally didn’t understand a word he said and just said “ok” assuming that the message was passed on from the receptionist to him. I was disappointed as the massage was not hard enough and it was only 60min long. I usually will give them a heads up during the start that I would like harder pressure but when I had to say it again, I personally consider that session as not one which would remediate my needs.

Karen and I - again chatting away

I rode down to SKCC at 6:30am and arrived around 7:30am to watch the E graders off. It was an extremely small group of about half a dozen riders as most would have seeded themselves in D grade by now. I picked up my number and waited around for more familiar faces to arrive. We went around the course for our warm up laps (which ended up being 3 laps before we seeded ourselves within our grades and positions. I have never placed myself beyond the back row. I know I should but I just don’t have the confidence.

@Michadventures

The first few laps of the race was difficult to settle into considering I was at the back and felt the brunt of the decelerations and surges. I ended up being dropped after about 6 laps but ended up riding with a friend whom I raced with the day before. As we were in our own little ride group, it was hairy when all the other grades overtook us. This included A grade which were fast enough to over take us about 3 times around the course. We ended up joining another group of womens C who were dropped from the main group and we rode together for the final lap. 
Not only was our race time shorted by 10min due to the late start by E grade but we were told we had 2 more laps when we rode passed but it was incorrect and our final lap ended up being a non-event as the checkered flag came out.

@Michadventures

Cornering skills - still WIP

After the crit, I hung around to watch friends race, grabbed a coffee, stayed for A/C grade with the inclusion of Remembrance day and for Jonathan Cantwell followed by lunch catch up with friends at a café before the ride back home.

I was totally toasted that afternoon. DEAD.