<--Picture from last week from unknown source via teammate Ted via Hellyer twitter via...?
Fun racing tonight made funner (more fun?) by the presence of Michael Hernandez on the microphone. It was definitely faster this week than last week! Beyond the fun and thrills it was one heck of a good workout. Average heart rate for the 25 lap scratch race was 181bpm w/ a max of 196. The numbers for the 60 lap points race were similar but extracted over more than twice that same time! Max HR was 199 which must have come during the only sprint I was able to go for. I did my usual turn 4 attack and held off all but one rider (a damn junior!!!) to take my only points for the night.
Finished the night by jumping onto the back of the "C" race for another 30+ laps.
I was feeling a little discouraged after the scratch race tonight. I knew what to do but I couldn't make me do it. As a result I was pack fodder at best and only got my nose in the wind once with 6 laps to go. That was my plan but I simply wasn't able to fight up in the front for position to set up for the final. With 30+ riders on the track and several very talented Cat 4's and several more Cat 3's, it's a tough battle. I guess I shouldn't get discouraged, I just need to get faster!
The points race was more encouraging. Again, there just wasn't any hope of trying to accumulate any points with a pack that huge. I didn't go for a sprint until well past the halfway point when we'd dropped maybe a third of the pack already. Unfortunately, my all-or-nothing "sprint" caused me to go off the back. I was stupid here too since a counter attack came after the sprint and somehow I got stuck out in front for an extra lap (DUH!). I punished myself by staying on the black line and trying to not get lapped. This worked for ten laps but that was it. When I got back on, the pack was much dwindled. So maybe I should have been even more patient and struck much later in the race when there were fewer wheels to get around. I dunno. But in all the races last year, I only scored points once. So far this year I've scored in races two weeks running. Of course that only barely raises me above an "also ran" but I'll take it. It's progress and not too bad for an old man (note: I believe getting lapped should have erased my points but I don't know if that's accurate since the A race certainly had VERY lapped riders still contesting the sprints and being announced as being in the running...).
Oof I'm tired. But it's always nice to get the thoughts down while they're fresh. Besides it's a nice wind down and now I feel like I can go to sleep quickly without sitting there spinning spinning spinning in my brain.
Afterthought: Viendo ese foto yo parezco un fokin sapo en la bicicleta. Pues talvez soy todavia el sapo verde (with a red neck) que quiere ser coqui...
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