It all started with the couple of days coming up to the race. I rode really hard on the Thursday night group ride. Which at the time I really didn't think anything of. I never felt out of my comfort zone. But I did a lot of work at the front and some pretty big changes in tempo. When I woke up the next day I could feel it in my legs. And in my brain I was thinking "Uh, oh". Because, at least most of the time. I really feel the effects of a hard workout two days later. Let's see... If I did the hard workout on Thursday... Friday... Saturday...
So like I said before. The bad legs were predictable considering. Although you would think that I would know better by now not to do something like that.
I almost had myself fooled during my warm up. But after about 4 laps into the race I tried to cover a break that had gone up the road. And on a slightly downhill tail wind section of the course I couldn't must more than 27 mph. For me, that's a problem. As any of my friend's know, going downhill is what I do best. And when I looked at my speedo to make sure I wasn't going to far in the red and saw those little numbers staring up at me I knew it was going to be a long day.
The second part of what I shouldn't have done was I put in a full days hard work the day before. I have a physical day job. But even after that I went home and took care of a bunch of yard work that I'd been putting off. And then.... (I know, I know.). I staid up late.
So just to recap I did a hard workout right before a race. I didn't rest and take it easy when my body told me too. And I didn't get enough sleep before the race.
Earl = Dumb.
Don't be like me kids....
The mental part of me being a poor example is I let one guy piss me off enough that I didn't try my hardest in the finish (You are probably noticing a pattern between this race and the last one I was in.)
I got into a verbal altercation with a guy about working at the front. I was just trying to get the guys up at the front to start working together to close down that break that I had mentioned earlier. And for some reason this guy took it personal and asked me why I don't go up there and, in his words, "Fucking pull!". I kinda took exception to that since I had done quite a bit of work out there already. And this guy acted like he was getting sandblasted anything his nose was out in the wind.
Now please don't get me wrong. I don't give a shit if he sits in. I just took it a little personal when he got in my face about the whole pulling thing. I know all this is really petty. And I also know that this is just a bike race for fun. But in the heat of the moment I verbally slammed this guy. Which, like most times when I do crap like that I instantly feel bad. Like I got suckered down to the other guy's level when I should be better than that.
So I sat mid-pack for most of the rest of the race. Fully intent on just beating just this one guy (Like I said before, I'm juvenile.) When he pulled a pretty brilliant (Tactically) move. He went up the road with about 4 laps to go. I instantly had a decision to make. If I tried to go with him more than likely he wouldn't work with me and we would get caught and I wouldn't have anything left for the sprint. Or I was hoping that the group would close him down in short order.
Well that didn't happen.
Instead everyone stared at each other. With in half a lap I knew he was gone.
I can't tell you how pissed I was.
To give him credit, he made the right move and had the conviction to see it through. But that doesn't stop me from being bitter.
With about two laps to go I tried to be in the proper place within the pack for the sprint. But in the last two 90 degree corners of final lap I lost half a dozen places and never regained them.
All in all kind of a tough outing...
But enough of this downer crap!
Tomorrow I'm going to try and make this blog a little happier place. Thanks!
Rubber side down,
Big E
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