Larry is trying to make me fat

I did my first “real” bike race of the year on Sunday, the Cherry Pie Criterium. By “real” I mean a race that requires skills other than just groveling at your threshold like say, San Bruno. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. In fact I kind of like groveling at my threshold, but this weekend we were going to do real bike racer things. Sprinting, cornering, changing speeds and going uncomfortably hard for uncomfortably long periods of time. Good stuff.

Since I decided not to break any bones this winter I came into the race pretty fit. My winter training is kind of odd due to work, short days and commutes, but in general it works for me. On the other hand I haven’t really done any of those “real bike racer” things since last September. Larry does his Early Bird mentoring and actually does those “real bike racer” things all year round so we knew he was good. Craig on the other hand told me before the race that he felt like he was coming down with something and might not race. So it was no surprise that there were at least two or three laps where he didn’t attack or drive the pace on the front. I hope that he feels better soon…

Since Larry is now officially REALLY OLD this year he was in the 55+ portion of our 45/55 combined race. It was theoretically possible for two of us to win in the same race. Larry in the 55+ and either Craig or I in the 45+. Think about that. TWO cherry pies! Larry has options. He can win in a field sprint or out of a break. Similarly, Craig and I also have options. We can win out of a small break (preferably a break of 1) or we can lose. Our goal was to get Larry and either Craig or I into a break. Even better if all three of us could get into a break. Craig was very aggressive and was in a number of small breaks. I was somewhat aggressive but never got off the front for more than about a quarter of a lap. Again, back to that whole changing speed thing that I’ve heard so much about. I may look into that a little further. In the mean time, Dirk Himley was like the energizer bunny. He attacked time after time after time.

I took my last dig at about two laps to go and got nowhere. Partway through the lap Larry pulled up next to me, said “escort” and pulled me most of the way to the front before I took over and got both of us into the top 5-10 riders with a lap and change to go.

This is where we get to the part about Larry wanting me to get fat. Normally I would take over and help set up Larry for the sprint so that he could win a pie that perhaps we might split three ways. Or better yet like a bunch of Super Models (Except for the tall, pretty and highly paid part at least.) Craig and I could let Larry have the whole pie because he “deserved it” and then snicker about him behind his back. Craig was already on the front keeping the pace high. I was ready to take over on the last lap and deliver Larry to the bottom of the sprint hill. Behind me though, Larry told me to ride for myself. Which makes total sense because I’ve won criteriums in field sprints SO MANY times. I think I’m up to zero now. Also, and THIS is REALLY where he was coming from. He knew that if I won a pie my wife would only learn about it because there might still be some of it on my chin when I got home after I stopped on the side of the road, somewhere in American Canyon and just ate the whole thing right there in my car. We don’t need no stinking forks!

So, on the last lap I was fresh and in good position. With visions of burying my face in that cherry pie I remembered the headwind up the sprint hill and thought that I needed to not open up my “sprint” too soon. As we went through the chicane I was still in a really good position and started thinking that I might actually be able to win this thing. I was “The Little Engine Who Could”. “I think I can. I think I can.” Then shortly before I was ready to start my sprint I nearly got blown off my bike as Larry “jet waked” past me.

I figured that must mean it’s time for me to open up my “sprint” and I started “sprinting”. And basically stayed in the same position all the way to the line. I was partially right. I was in fact, “The Little Engine”.

But I was really charging towards the end and if the race would have only been another 250 or so meters longer I might have gotten all the way up to the front wheel of the guy in front of me. I totally had him in my sights… (That’s the kind of things that sprinters say, so I’m practicing. Don’t ignore the mental aspect…)

Larry finished 2nd, but easily won the 55+ race. I finished 6th on the line for 5th in the 45+ race.

Maybe I should have had Fruit Loops for breakfast instead of Shredded Wheat.

On a more serious note, even after having raced since 1985 I still learn things when I race. At Cherry Pie I learned (a bit too late) that I probably should have opened my sprint up sooner. My top end is actually not bad, but my jump is not so good. If I could have made up a bike length or two before the guys in front of my got going I might have come around one or two of them. Taking that thought further even though I was pretty highly placed I probably should have moved up a bit further. Maybe 4th or so. Maybe even 3rd the way it worked out. Less guys to come around to get to the front.

Speaking of sprinting it is something that I should work on more. It’s not my strength and never will be but you can’t win every race alone. I don’t want to come to the final 500 meters at nationals in a group of three with the thought, “you know, maybe I should have actually done some sprint training this year…”. And besides getting better at it, you need to at least train your neuromuscular system to fire efficiently for that kind of an effort.

Afternoon daylight is coming back soon. That will give me the opportunity to round my training out and do the kinds of things that “real bike racers” do. I can’t wait!