A 2 week break off the bike was good. Went to Perth to compete at the masters national swimming competition. Had an awesome time bonding with my swim team mates, weather was fantastic and winning 2 gold medals with the swim relay team made the trip all that much sweeter.
Amongst giants..I woke up to a very chilly Saturday morning (well, chilly enough for my warm blooded body) and tried to gobble down some hot porridge without burning my tongue. Arriving an hour earlier at the course meant I had more than enough time for a couple of warm up laps, and do a little scouting for wind directions.
The race kicked off at a fairly moderate pace with everyone trying to get a feel of the bunch. The two or so attempted breakaways failed to materialise as the solo-ers soon realised that it was better to stay with the peloton into the strong headwind up the back straight, especially with a sharp little rise in the middle.
The race had points awarded for 3 intermediate sprints. As the bell rung signalling the first intermediate sprint on the next lap, the pace immediately jumped right up. This being my first road race, I decided to remain conservative and not put maximum effort into the first sprint. Coming in about 6th wheel, I immediately spotted out the sprinters in the bunch and kept an eye out for them.
The next intermediate sprint was a little more chaotic with everyone wanting a spot at the front of the peloton. Shouts of 'hold your line!" resonated through the peloton especially going into the corners. I attempted a sprint but could only manage 5th wheel. Nevertheless, I had not reached maximum effort at the sprint line and my speed carried me past the front sprinters.
Before I knew it, someone behind me shouted "Come on - we've dropped the sprinter!" And I attacked hard - carrying most of the bunch with me. At this point, we managed to drop the few stragglers at the back of the bunch and the top sprinter. I continued to roll turns with the top few riders of the peloton ensuring we had a decent breakaway.
Having done quite a bit of work at the front - my legs were starting to feel heavy. I immediately dropped to the back of the peloton in an attempt to spin out the lactic acid in my legs. The 3rd sprint left riders strung across the road, but I was determined to not get dropped. I immediately reached into my back pocket for some food, and pretty soon had my energy stores right back up.
By this time the pace of the peloton had jumped right up. I found myself at the top of the peloton and had to chase down the 2 breaks. At this stage, I had already lost count of the number of laps we had left. My bike computer had also bonked, and I had no idea how fast I was going. All I was concentrating on was to not let anyone off on their own.
Final bell lap - another big jump in the pace. 2.3kms to go - we all knew it was the crux. I managed to get into 8th wheel going into the final corner. With just over 300m to go, I cranked my gears down and dug hard into the pedals. I passed a few riders and came eye to eye with the 3rd place rider.
Sprinting for the finish..I pushed even harder...I crossed the line, and I screamed. A scream of excitement, of happiness, of contention, or maybe just to let out whatever carbon dioxide I had built up in me. I had come in 3rd place amongst the men. I was grinning from ear to ear for the rest of the day. It was a major confidence booster to continue chasing my cycling dreams. Bring on the winter road season!
Grinning all over..
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