Hi. Let's try this again -- especially since I started this thread. First race of the new year for me. Missed a TT and a crit earlier this year because of having to deal with my dad who was in the hospital for 9 weeks. He's out now and doing okay but the saga isn't over.
Anyway, it's been over a year since I did a SoCal weekend crit and almost a year since I did any kind of a crit. I was a bit nervous about being able to hang. Nervous enough that I forgot my race wheels (Zipp 303 tubulars) at home. My spare race wheels are decent though, Zipp 202 clinchers.
Fortunately, the fast people decided to take it a bit easier today. The race actually started at a sane pace. I was able to stay in the top half of the field of 33 riders (55+ & 60+) at the beginning of the race. About 11 minutes into the 55 minute race, a friend of mine from a team that made up about a quarter of the field, went off the front. I went with him. It lasted about half a lap and of course when we got caught some of the fast guys counter-attacked. I was barely able to stay in but I made it and decided finishing was better part of valor. I probably could have raced harder but the psychological trauma of getting dropped probably would have ruined the rest of my season.
Eventually four guys got off the front including one 60+ guy. Instead of my usual sitting up on the last lap I stayed in the field and kind of sprinted so I wasn't DFL.
If it doesn't rain next weekend, I plan to do a circuit race on Saturday and am undecided on a crit or TT on Sunday. If it rains on Saturday I'll probably do the TT. All of this is part of my preparation for Valley of the Sun.