Category: C
Result: Mid-pack

Soon after the recent alignment of the planets, an alignment of my home and work life allowed me to race at the track last night. Since Liz is now off work for maternity leave, but the baby won't arrive for a couple of weeks yet, I was able to ride a lot (for me) yesterday.

I rode in to work in the morning. After work, I rode to meet Liz and Paloma at 680 and Montague to load the car and head down to the track. The temperature was in the mid to high 80s when I got there and a perfect night for racing.

I arrived just in time to sign in and pin my number on before my first race (ever) on the track, the C group 5 lap win and out. I placed 2nd, 2nd, and 2nd for the 3 bell laps which means I finished 4th (like finishing just out of the medals 3 times in one race).

Next came a 3 lap heat race. 2 heats, first 2 across the line in each heat go to the winners bracket. In my heat, there were 4 of us bunched together coming into the finish line. I thought I had 2nd on the far outside, but somehow the guy on the far inside squeezed past and got me at the line. So, I was relegated to the losers bracket and racing for 5th. The first two races, I tried to come from the back without much success, so this race I took the lead on the backstretch with 1.5 to go and managed to hang on just barely for the win (i.e. 5th). At least I am scoring points for the Omnium.

The next race was a 10 lap scratch race. I was in good position (2nd or 3rd) until 3 laps to go when I got trapped on the inside and dumped to the back of the group. I hung in for 4th and a couple more omnium points.

Finally, there was a 20 lap Cs and Bs(without Omnium points) points race. My lack of training for this type of racing was evident within the first 2 laps of this last race. Well, it was evident after the first race really. I went off the front for a couple of laps after the first sprint, but as the lead pack passed me with 12 to go, I gave it up and rode to the finish alone. I think I gave all my Omnium points back + plenty to spare after being lapped in the last race.

It was great fun on the track. My 3 year old seemed to really enjoy watching and was quite excited to ride her own bike when we got home. I'm certainly not in shape to do this and at 37, I will pay the price for a couple of days. If I could change anything about it, I would have used a smaller gear. It might have kept my legs fresh enough to hang with the group on the last race. As it was, pushing the bigger gear in the earlier races spelled doom for my legs in the final race as well as today and probably tomorrow.

I hope to get to the Wednesday races again near the beginning of August after the next baby is born and while my parents are in town to help us out. Maybe we can get a few other guys from FFBC to crush the rest of them.

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