We usually are training to race, but sometimes we end up racing to train. I was supposed to have a weekend off from racing. My plan called for a little LT and VO2max work. I wasn't terribly excited about doing controlled intervals during teh weekend, plus I still had the racing bug in me. With Sunday's gorgeous weather and the great reviews of last year's Vernon Hills Grand Prix, the choice was an easy one. It's time to race! Uh, I mean train.
After loading up my gear, I'm glad I was taking a low key approach to the races and didn't care much about a warm-up. I followed the directions on the race flyer and was confused even with my GPS. I eventually followed the trail of bikes to the Vernon Hills High School. Finding registration was another challenge, but once set I was giddy to get on the course.
Crit courses vary greatly, despite usually just being a loop. The Vernon Hills course is definitely a nice one, especially for beginners. The road surface was in great shape, and just one of the turns was a little tight. The race organizers also had safety in mind with corners being closed off with cones and controlled by police. Hay bails were placed on fire hydrants, signs, etc. in case a rider might crash into one. Very nice touches.
I registered for both the Cat 4 and Masters 4/5 races, which were held back-to-back. I didn't get much of a warm-up in for the 4s, but I wasn't exactly planning on "racing" this one. The pack was just shy of 40 and had a good make-up of teams. We had several riders in the field, which is always nice to see especially with our cool new jerseys. The 4s race got underway and the team immediately took things under control. I was hanging to back hoping to get warmed up, but attacks soon happened and I didn't respond to pack's accelerations quick enough. I was dropped with several other riders, which was OK by me since I thought we could at least get a paceline going to try and catch the peloton. Great in theory, hard in practice. Five riders from 5 different teams didn't really gel, especially at the tail of a 4s race. I took the lead and signaled for someone to take over one I tired, but no one did. Fifteen minutes into the race, I just decided to call it and save myself for a hard workout in the Masters 4/5 race. I was actually happy to drop out, because I got a chance to see a great finish with some hard riding from XXX and Jon Dugas scoring second place and some upgrade points.
The Master 4/5 field seemed a little bigger than the 4s with many riders having just finishing their cool-down lap. Things got underway, but not at the quick pace that seemed to start with the 4s. Maybe the previous race was having an effect on people. That didn't last long as the pace soon picked up. I found this group to be more sketchy the the 4s, so I decided to move up to the front and take some pulls. Bob Wilhem took over from me and I slipped back into the pack in order to rest only to be nearly run into the curb. That was it. I like smaller Masters fields with experienced riders, but I wasn't willing to risk a good portion of my season to a crash. I sat up and decided to TT off the back to get my LT work in. I thought the pack would start to pull away, but they actually crept closer. That provided a nice bait for me to keep hammering away, but they eventually turned up the speed after a few laps and disappeared over the horizon. Still I was happy to finish less than half a lap behind (and set a new personal solo road bike average speed record in the process)!
The best part of the day was being out in great weather with a ton of cool teammates and seeing some fabulous efforts. I got to the race to see the new XXXer, Chris Riekert win the 5s race. We had an awesome turn out in the beginner's race and its always fun listening to the excitement of the post-race banter. It will be neat to see how teammates develop over time. The 4s race was all business and I was impressed with everyone's efforts. I loved seeing Calvin Smythe continually attacking off the front and generating more power than my training wheel had ever experienced (I loaned him my backup wheel when he flatted before the race). Then Dugas got two Top 5 finishes with his performances in the 4s and Master races. The tough luck effort of the day would have to go to Bob who had a mechanical in the 4s, then crashed in the Masters. Still, he kept plowing away and did some great work for the team. This is going to be one great season for XXX!
Finally, I've got to mention two sponsors who I definitely felt made a difference today. I really liked the new upgraded Pactimo gear. Despite being all black, I stayed plenty cool in the sun. Great fit and breathability. Also, I've really noticed the difference in my mass start racing since Troy at Mission Bay helped adjust my fit. it's amazing how much better you feel plus the extra power you can generate when you get setup by someone who really knows what they're doing. Thanks guys!
Sorry for the long race report, but it was just one of those days you can go on about. I had a great time and highly recommend the Vernon Hills GP as a future race. It was well organized and a very enjoyable race. Now back to training.