Cold & Wet

Not two terms I usually associate with any fun - especially when it comes to bike racing. But after being sidelined for the last 2 months (for various reasons - mostly because of my flight training to keep employed, and my wife about to give birth to twins), I ventured out to Pacific Raceways for the weekly Tuesday Night racing series.

A showery evening with temps in the low 50's would normally deter me from even showing up and plunking down my hard earned $$, but tonight, well tonight I needed to get out there no matter what. I had no expectations and no worries. OK, that's not quite true; I did have one worry - am I going to get dropped on the first lap up the backside roller?

Turns out no on lap 1, no on lap 2, and no throughout the entire evening. In fact, I felt pretty darn spunky to tell the truth. Maybe that's proof to counter the typical high mileage/hourly weekly workouts that many try to emulate. Pro racers are full time on their bikes with 400-500 miles/week not considered abnormal. In my prime racing focus I'd be lucky to get half that. And these days, halve that again.

A 4-man break developed midway & with PruDog barking orders to chase - chase I did, as best I could muster. At the end of the race the 4 leaders stayed away and I faded in the final bunch sprint. But crossing the line with a certain personal satisfaction that at least, for the short 45 minutes that tonight provided, a glimpse of racing muscle memory is still there. Borderline hypothermia with teeth chattering I was quietly happy not too have embarrassed myself too badly.

Hopefully I'll be able to get away for Sunday's race at Vance Creek - a race I won as a CAT3 to test the system on a little longer and harder course. Again no expectations, except to help one of my teammates come away with the win.