Talking about Racing
Every year while training in the winter months the goal for me is always to peak at the CSC race and Philly Week. It never fails but June seems so far away when I’m riding up and down PCH in cold weather while being bundled up in the unfamiliar 50 degree SoCal weather.
I got a chance to get my race jitters out at Valley Of The Sun Stage race where I won the last stage. Not to excited about the win, I moved on to Merced where this would be the true test of early season form. Anticipating the first NRC race, the boys road a good aggressive race and at the end, things didn’t work out for us having our lead out come to a screeching halt because of a crash. However during the race, I had lots of confidence because I was there, I was competing and I was able to suffer and gear myself up for the final sprint, however the crash stopped that.
Now the cycle of being healthy and then sick starts to play a major part in my training and quite frankly it started to destroy what I had been working so hard for. It seemed that every time my training started to go well and the climbing legs where starting to come around, ill get sick and it would side line me for weeks at a time.
I started Redlands after being sick for 2 weeks and it killed me.
Weeks later, I get food poisoning. Soon after I got a cold.
But being very optimistic, I never wanted to pull out a race or not go on a trip because of my health condition. If I was able to breath, I was going. Selfish? Perhaps, but I wanted to be a leader and I cant lead by chilling at home. So I put my sick but on the line and started every race I could and eventually I started to feel much better after racing and having proper rest.
I get through the USPro Crit Series where I nearly won a stage but ended up 2nd. Riding that wave I got to do two stage races. Joe Martin and Tri Peak, both that were very hilly and hot and did I mention hilly? Now I’m home and I did the final preparation for Philly Week and that consisted of three 6-7 hr days. 2 weeks before the trip.
Well you all know what happen at CSC. But philly weeak was a whole different story. In Lancaster, the weather was so bad I really was a bit fearful of crashing I have to admit. But a flat on the first lap help put a damper on my day. I got a wheel change, chassed for almost 2 laps road 4 more laps and got dropped.
Reading went a whole lot better for me. I had great legs. If we didn’t have the stupid hill climb on the last three laps, I think I could have maybe pulled another upset. So giving the circumstances, my job was to lead out our two strong finishers into the climb which I did and then my day was done.
Now I’m at the granddaddy of them all, Philly. 156 miles. I was so nervous for this race I could hardly sleep. I was taking a nap on Saturday, I woke up in a frantic because I thought it was Sunday morning and I was late for breakfast…it was only Saturday afternoon…lol.
The race started off really fast and every time the pace was super fast, I’m thinking, okay its going to sit up soon…but it never did.
I did 8 of the 10 big laps and was dropped. I didn’t have the legs I anticipated and I was very disappointed. I really thought I had a chance to be there at the end and give JJ a run for his money.
Well now that Philly is over, its time to motor pace so we can win Manhattan Beach GP on July 1st.