Just pedal!

I don't recall many things from before I turned 5. The one thing I do remember is my elder cousin brother teaching me how to ride a bike. Taking off my training wheels was a big thing then. I was afraid. We took my little bike out onto the road, and he bent downwards to hold the back off my seat - telling me to "Just pedal!" I kept on telling him not to let go. There was a little hill opposite where I lived. And as I was rolling downhill, remembering to keep on pedalling, I screamed, "Look at me..I can ride!" No reply. I braked, put my foot down, turned around...and there he was at the top of the hill. And for the first time then, a smile spread across my face with the feeling of satisfaction - I had learned how to ride a bike. And today, somehow, competing at the SKCC Club Criterium Championships felt the same way as I did back when I was 4.

"Oh no - they're goin' to remove my training wheels!"

An extra hour's sleep with the end of daylight savings was very much welcomed. Knowing my usual pre-morning race nerves, I had prepared all my stuff the night before - even laying out my jersey, knicks, socks etc. on the chair. I decided to drive the short distance to the crit course just in case I hit a flat on the way - no, I did not want to miss the race.

Like Tuesday, today's race was a mass start, with women in different categories (elite and masters) competing for the club champion award. We even had a guy on a motorbike starting us off for the first neutral lap - I was pretty excited this being my first time pacing behind one!

Lap 2 - and 2 strong riders in the field attempted for a break right from the start. And me being me..I wasn't going to let them go. I chased them down quickly carrying the rest of the field with me. I could hear someone from the crowd screaming at me to go. The adrenaline immediately kicked in, and I knew this race was going to be a fast-paced one.

There were a few attempted breaks at the start - and I kept on jumping at them, half the time carrying the bunch with me. I would bridge, then fall right behind the bunch and spin out the lactic acid.. and a couple of laps later, repeat the drill. I knew this wasn't going to work, and being a sprinter, I should be a little more conservative and save some energy for the end. The other girls in field today were as fired up as I was, and they were prepared to bridge the breaks as well.

About 20 minutes in, I heard the dreaded creaking noise on the back of my bike - the force applied on the bike had caused my back wheel to move, and my brake had started rubbing the rim. Having learnt from the race a few weeks back, this time I knew I was allowed to take a lap out for mechanical problems. I rolled up to the race director, told him my problem and he sent me off to the mechanic's tent.

It's funny, but that 2 minutes out felt like the longest 2 minutes ever as the mechanic took out his trusty allen key and started fiddling with my bike. My heart was still pounding - I kept on glancing at the corner to look out for the bunch, and I tried to keep on moving my legs so as not to let any lactic acid build up. Finally, I saw the bunch coming up, and jumped at the back of them. Immediately, I increased my cadence, and within 1 lap, I was back near the front of the bunch.

With about 7 minutes to go, I suddenly found that over-excited kid in me again. I saw 1 rider break - and I immediately jumped. This time however, I wasn't carrying the bunch with me. It was just 2 of us!! We quickly gained a decent break, I took a little glance behind, and realised that we were gaining quite a few bike lengths. As we turned into the headwind on the back straight, she started to slow down, but somehow I was on fire. I nudged her and said "Let's work together!"

I jumped in front of her, and just pedalled. Pedal, pedal, pedal. And before I knew it - I was in a solo break. On the sprint straight, I could hear the crowd screaming at me to go. And I just went. Sitting out there alone in an Open race, I really did not know what to do. The kid me just wanted to go, yet, there was that little doubt in me not being sure if I could hold that TT effort for the rest of the race. "Don't waste your energy and get back to the rest of the bunch!" 1.5 laps later, I made the call to slow down, and the bunch finally caught up.
"On my solo breakaway..."(Photo by RobM)

Different to last week's Giant race when I hit a wall, I had actually made the call to slow down on my solo effort. Having only been training for just over a month, and not knowing the ablity of the rest of the riders, there was somehow that moment of doubt in me. "What if I waste all my energy trying to go solo and hit a wall right on the last lap?" Well, only time and experience will tell, and I knew today's race wasn't one to find that out.

Final lap to go - the bunch was so tight, I could't quite get right up the front. I tried as best as I could to push forward. Coming out of the last corner, I launched my sprint, climbed over a few riders, and finished 7th overall. I wasn't spent, but the winners had too far of a head start.

Although today's wasn't a podium finish, I was happy with my performance. Somehow, today felt like it did when I first learnt how to ride a bike as a kid. All I had to do was just pedal. Riding a bike is about going places, racing a bike is about tactics, and winning on a bike is about confidence. And as I keep persevering and keep racing, I will learn the tactics, and build the confidence to one day win.

For now, the Crit season has just come to an end. Winter Road Racing is still a month to go. And so, April will be a little quiet of adrenaline flow, though 2 big swim competitions are sure to keep me buzzing. Stay tuned!