Shamrock Criterium, March 16, 2013

Race	Shamrock Criterium
Date	March 16, 2013
Field	25 registered
Field Demographics	Cat 1/2/3, 35/45/55
Course Data	0.5 mile, flat course, 2 sharp counter-clockwise turns
Weather	Sunny, 70.

First race of the season is sort of the put up or shut up moment.  After those long winter months spent on a trainer due to my almost obsessive refusal to ride in cold weather, the Shamrock Criterium was first test of the effectiveness my training plan.  With a course that is my perceived nemesis (short, flat = fast), my nerves began to twitter as the end of the work week approached.

To better understand this race report, a little background on my 2012 racing experience will be helpful.  Prior to every race, my coach (C) and I would discuss race strategy.  The conversation would be something along the lines:

Coach:           

“So what is your strategy?  Talk me through the race.”

Me:

*chirp chirp* (sound of crickets since I am focused on not answering and drinking my coffee)

Coach:

“So, you are just going to go out and pedal?”

Me:

*chirp, chirp, slurp, slurp*

Coach:

“Who do you need to watch in this race?  On whose wheel should you be?”

Me:

“Um, well, (fill in the blank with the normal cast of characters)”

Coach:

“The plan.  With XX to go, you need to gut yourself.  Stand up out of the saddle and just go.  Hard.  Go hard for 5 minutes.  You have a w/kg at 5 minutes that is well above category and we know that you will be poster filler if you are part of a group sprint.  Who cares if you are 15^th or 25^th?  Just do something.  Make Joe Jefferson talk about your effort.  Okay?”

Me:

“Ok.”

To make this long race report shorter, let’s just say that, with the exception of one race, I failed to execute in 2012.  The lap or hill or whatever that corresponded to that strategy would near and I would talk myself out of trying anything. I was too tired, it wouldn’t work I would cross the line and the coach would turn into the boyfriend (BF) and he would tell me he was proud of me.  The coach, however, I know I disappointed.

Flash forward to breakfast before the race.  Same conversation:  What did I expect to happen in the race?  Attacks.  Where did I need to be in order to be able to respond?  At the front but not on the front.  What would I do with 5 to go?  Gut myself.

We get to the race and I go through the normal things that one does.  Pick up race number, pet lots of dogs, prick fingers with safety pins while pinning on the race number, warm up, and so on.  My sense of dread was increasing.  In the past it was from fear of crashing and other race nerves.  Now it was from a fear of executing or of not executing.  That feeling of being frozen and not able to move (more of a metaphor since I would be on the bike and moving) was something that had become my friend last race season and I had tired of this friendship.

The race was 40 minutes with three premes, all of which were in the last 15 laps of the race.  There were a couple of local Tidewater teams well represented, as well as some MABRA and VCA women who I know really enjoy flat courses.    It was great to see faces I have not seen since the end of last summer...Amanda, Jenn, Dori, Erin, Alexis and others, even though their presence meant pain in the next 40 minutes.   Last year, the winner was part of a break that happened early in the race.  She was back this year and I expected her, as well as the aforementioned others, to try to break from the pack.  Given how many laps (with a 0.5 mile course, round and round we rode…..) we did, they became a blur.  A couple of speedy laps from frisky attempts to get away or a cupcake preme caused attrition off the back but nothing got away.

I paid attention to my position and spent the first part of the race sitting 3^rd to 10^th wheel.  As the “moment of truth” lap approached, I reverted to old habits, not fighting for position and found myself in the back of the main pack. While C/BF yelled from the sidelines, “Dana, get ready to execute”, I moved up to mid-pack.  With three to go, someone attacked down the start-finish leg of the course. I sprinted after her and caught her before the first turn and she slowed, as did the group behind me.  I realized that everyone had relaxed, so I stood up and sprinted as hard as I could.  I had a gap on the field after the second turn.  Sharp left turn…still have a gap.  As I crossed the start/finish line and the counter switched to 2 to go I was still away...just barely.

When the field caught me on that penultimate lap, I made a rookie mistake.  I should have jumped on in the middle of the pack to be in better contention for the final lap.  (In my defense…I was so shocked to have been out in front to be able to be in the position of being caught, so….) I jumped back into the pack at the back, which was getting strung out and I found myself sprinting (word used with a great degree of artistic license) to maintain contact.  I ended up outsprinting someone for 12^th place.  

Analysis of my power data showed a new overall PR for 5 sec power and 2013 season PR for 10 sec through 2 minute power.  From my interpretation, I had it in me to better contest the end of the race had I been more aggressive when caught at the end of the second to last lap.

Lessons learned: 

1. Inner demons of self-doubt can be ignored…and hopefully silenced. 
2. Be aggressive when rejoining the pack

And on a girly note:  I also learned you need to listen to others (sometimes) even when you think they are wrong.  Although C/BF would never say it, I know that my failure to at least try was frustrating. I train very well. I execute some painful, nasty intervals without question.  I just need to do the same in my races.