Minuteman Road Club

A tale of 2 different days for me, but with nearly the same result. Day 1 was a power roadie course. Lots of wide open straights that didn't suit me. If the race had been 3 minutes long, though, I would have been Top 10! I had a great start and was hanging with the Big Boys; surprising even myself! I then started to pack-slide in a big way, as my legs felt like a Bag of Spanners*. (Quote blantantly plageriszed from Smudger.) Every lap, more riders went by and I couldn't even muster the energy to draft even momentarily. At one point, Cort went by and said "jump on my wheel! I'm going to drill it!" yeah. right. Had he said: I'm going to soft pedal and pull you around the course...that would have been much better. On the bell lap, with 3 long straights to the finish line, I started my sprint by the school before the gravel, hoping to salvage whatever place I was in. It worked and I barely finished in front of whoever was chasing me...for 26th.

Day 2 was a lot more fun. The course had a lot of turns, and was like an old VW commercial: Drivers Wanted. I had a good, but more modest start into 15th or 16th, but then just started hanging on wheels. I even took a few turns on the front! At one point, David Hildenbrand had pulled me around for a while and when we hit the track, he sat up to let me pull through. I wasn't too excited about that, and he knew it. He put his hand on my butt and pushed me through..so I felt obliged to pedal a bit harder. he passed me shortly thereafter, and finished several spots in front of me. (lesson learned.) I continued to drive really well and rail the turns, having A LOT more fun than yesterday...even though I was still pack-sliding a bit. On the bell lap, I made up a few spots and went into the finale second wheel of a group of 3, with Jerry Chabot on my wheel. Some tall skinny guy named Lee was leading and I tried to attack him on the uphill, off-camber traverse before the track, but he had none of that. We hit the track and I opened up my sprint immediately, before he had a chance to get his going. I took the inside line and Jerry was forced to go the long way on the outside. I took the W...for 24th.

It's funny. yesterday I felt like crap. today I felt great. Yet I had basically the same result. Go figure.

I too decided to ride with the Big Boys in the Masters 45+ after riding reasonably well in the Masters 45+ in Canton (placed in the low 40's, felt good). I always have high hopes for Baystate after riding it for several years and knowing the Day 1 course. But it wasn't to be. I started in the back where I belong, never even got the engine warmed up to pick a few stragglers off, and then promptly flatted on lap 2 or 3 (not sure). I felt like giving up, but went into the pit, told the guy I wasn't going to continue, then changed my mind and grabbed a wheel. By that time I had lot another minute or two and the faster 55+ riders were upon me. Decided to continue riding just for the fitness and because my kid didn't quit, but had nothing and soon got lapped. Last place, but I didn't get an DNF - so I suppose I beat about 10 riders that gave up. May have to reconsider riding ice weasels.

My kid (cub juniors) had a mechanical too - got his wheel wedged into his brake banging a barrier. I happened to be close, so I ran down and dislodged it. He was mid-pack with about 3 or 4 other riders when it happened (definitely not in the front 5 or 6), but went to the back of the field and never really recovered. Ended up 14th, I think. At least he sucked it up and finished.

This was my first time to do both the Saturday and Sunday races at a venue and I enjoyed this, especially given the short 1/2 hour drive for me. I got there early both days to have time to prepare and find my way around. Day 1 was a little confusing as riders were riding all around looking for registration but eventually found it in the school. Signing two forms and keeping the same number was great since there was no checkin needed on Day 2. Saturday was warming up quickly and by race time I only had an extra top thermal layer. Riders were pretty pissed (higher ranked ones in the back with me) due to the random staging but also since they decided to start the Cat 4s with the Cat 4 35+ when registration stated the 35+ group would start a minute after the 4s. It made for a much larger field but again it did not bother me and my back end racing.

The start had some riders with issues and we walked for a while on the first straightaway but then got rolling pretty well. The muddy steep runup near the beginning clogged pretty good but after that there were no real clogs for me. The course was fast and I felt pretty good. I fell going over the first barrier on the upslope and lost a little time and got some bruises but no bike damage. At the turn into the track finish I sprinted hard and passed the rider in front of me and closed fast on another but was too late to overtake him too. I am thinking that being comfortable with a strong sprint finish probably means I am not working hard enough during the race. My heart rate is pegged during races and I feel I am going as fast as I can but I think I need to have more of a sense of urgency rather than complacency in the back. I have been hoping to inch my way up during the season to a mid-pack finish but I am consistently around 3/4 the way back in the pack, so I am beating some but not many.

Day 2 was nice to arrive and know my way around and I parked in the gravel lot on the course instead of in the upper parking lot. One benefit to being in the Cat 4s is you don't have to search for a parking spot. The early morning was foggy and cold, 30 degrees at 7:30 a.m. I wore tights for this race and a skull cap and was glad for that but for the first time I had some weather related issues. My glasses stayed partially fogged up throughout the race (but I need them if I want to see anything at all). Also my hands were numb for two laps. Eventually the blood flow returned but I probably need warmer gloves for the cold races. Numb hands do not help during a technical course which was the case on Sunday. The race did have a staggered start on this day and it helped spread the crowd out and the first steps off the track were clogged up but not as bad as I anticipated. Doing the hard left turn after these steps on a steep hillside made remounting a challenge, the first time through I had to run a while before remounting but then stayed low for the other passes which made remounting easier. I liked the woods trail section but it was too short. I have learned to give a quick acceleration before each little hill climb to be sure to get around the pinch points and I have been good at passing in these situations while others loose traction and dismount or collide with other riders. At the final uphill to the off-camber hillside I was behind 3 riders but I stayed behind and then went high on the climb and passed two who tangled at the pinch point and then I stayed high and passed the 3rd rider and put it in high gear and dropped into the chute to the track sprint. I stayed in front to the finish but I smashed my left hand on a wooden stake at the edge of the track on the drop in and that hurt pretty good but fortunately did not take me down.

A good weekend for me and I finished 39/50 and 38/47. I'm signed up for Ice Weasels and am debating Fitchburg.