56km's of pain!

Today I raced my first road race at Gisbourne South and it was hard, damn hard!

With the phlegm still clogging my chest from the cold/flu I have been fighting for the past few weeks, I was in less than ideal health to take on such an undertaking. However, I was determined to give it a go all the same.

The day started poor when I managed to punch myself in the chin while putting on my arm warmers at home. DOH!

We got to the start and I went for a warm up lap around the course. Up the back there was a nasty long hill which I found to be very hard work and realized that I was VERY down on power today. I wasn't "feeling it" as they say.

Sign in with slightly surly guy went something like this-
Me: "Hi I'd like to race D-grade"
Him: "Urgh... What racing have you done?"
Me: "I started racing just this year and have done a few D-grade St Kilda crits, but this is my first road race."
Him, looking at my license and his list: "Urgh.. you haven't pre entered"
Me: "I did send an email on time as was said on the calendar"
Him: "Urgh... well he's not here.. so I suppose you can slot in where blahblah has dropped out then"
Me: "Errr...ok"
Cheery chap indeed! :)

The race starts and I'm rolling with the pack fine. I fell back a bit on the climb but got back into the thick of it no stress until we hit the hill the second lap and I was dropped like a hot potato! Pulled back one guy but the pack kept getting further and further away each lap.

I ended up riding solo for 5 1/2 laps in the wind and would have paid good money for a wheel to suck.

The 3rd lap up the hill and my lungs were protesting big time. I contemplated pulling out but kept going for just one more lap... then just one more.. and another... and another...

Towards the end I saw another D-grader in a Melton Club kit ahead so I tried to aim for him. C-Grade passed me and the D-grader in front sat on the back of them on their wheels (which we were told was not to be done, using another grade to your advantage). As C-Grade seemed to be sitting up a bit and I was just getting a roll on I was unsure what to do- do I sit on their wheels or do I pass them?

I elected to do the second option, passing with plenty of room to not get in their way. As soon as I hit the front they all picked up the pace and passed me back up the following rise (with several thanking me!?), and then on the following long downhill, I passed them back again as I got into my aero tuck for the decent. I wasn't even pedaling (the only good part of being heavy on a bike), I was just rolling downhill!

Talking to Ian after the race I found out it's considered bad form to pass a higher grade like I did, so I will remember that next time. Oops!

Once again the C-grade pack passed me with the D-grader still firmly sucking their wheels so I latched on to them until the hill up the back again smashed me and i was dropped AGAIN! I was really hating that hill.. I really mean it. I wanted to kill it!

Last lap and I had Melton guy in my sights to give me "something, ANYTHING" to aim for. As I crested the final hill I saw Alison ahead to my surprise (I expected her to take the win) so I flew past her and Ross, hot in pursuit of Melton guy, but I wasn't quite able to reel him in by the finish line.

So I finished about 3-4th last and I think quite a few D-graders pulled out. Bloody tough work that course, not helped my my cold/flu.

Ended up back at the car, wobbly legs and all, coughing my lungs out while people tried to talk to me. Damn I felt crap.

On the course, I had several people pass me calling out "vidman!" and a corner marshal I know was urging me on to catch the back of D-grade ahead of me (no chance). Thanks guys for the encouragement. Next time- PUSH ME UP THE HILL DAMN IT! :)

I was disappointed to get dropped so early but happy that I fought the urge to pull out on lap 3 when my lungs were protesting so badly. In the end what made me keep going was (and this is pretty silly I know) thinking of the scene in the movie "Run Fat Boy, Run!" where he wont give up in the marathon and keep struggling to the finish. Meh.. what ever works hey?

I'll be back, hopefully lees phlegm ridden.


Above- Ross and Ian hard at work in C-Grade.

56km's of pain!