J.Greene
12-17-2007, 06:45 AM
Sunday was round four of the Florida cross series held in sunny and very windy Sarasota. The layout of the couse was good, one of the better ones this year atmo. Not like KC, but it's all we have to work with.
I was determined to have a good race after my collapse in Orlando, my hometown race. Being my firxt year I'm racing the c's, cx4 or cat 5, or what ever the promoter decides to call the entry class. Before the gun went off I had made my plan to basically go my own pace. I was gonna race myself and the course and not the other riders. These races have been 45 min to an hour and that is a long time to go man against man for me. I started a bit slow and several times in the first laps I felt like I could have ridden faster which really paid dividends in the last 2 laps. The middle of the race I was riding strong and hitting all the obstacles right. The legs and bike felt good. The running was even coming easily. In the last 3 laps I started picking off riders. It's my first race this year where I had that kind of power. Going into the last lap I was battling for one more placing. Going up an upwind sidewalk slog I pulled this cat about 300 yards, snuck back on his wheel when we hit the grass for some quick recovery. Coming into the big hill I hit the gas and rode the first part of the hill, dismounted and continued by foot. By the top I was away and safe. Next time I hope I can use that experience for a podium place. I rolled over the line in 4th. Colavita FL got 1st and 2nd in Juniors, 1st in Womens and my 4th. We race this same course in Jan and I'll move up a place atmo.
JG
I was determined to have a good race after my collapse in Orlando, my hometown race. Being my firxt year I'm racing the c's, cx4 or cat 5, or what ever the promoter decides to call the entry class. Before the gun went off I had made my plan to basically go my own pace. I was gonna race myself and the course and not the other riders. These races have been 45 min to an hour and that is a long time to go man against man for me. I started a bit slow and several times in the first laps I felt like I could have ridden faster which really paid dividends in the last 2 laps. The middle of the race I was riding strong and hitting all the obstacles right. The legs and bike felt good. The running was even coming easily. In the last 3 laps I started picking off riders. It's my first race this year where I had that kind of power. Going into the last lap I was battling for one more placing. Going up an upwind sidewalk slog I pulled this cat about 300 yards, snuck back on his wheel when we hit the grass for some quick recovery. Coming into the big hill I hit the gas and rode the first part of the hill, dismounted and continued by foot. By the top I was away and safe. Next time I hope I can use that experience for a podium place. I rolled over the line in 4th. Colavita FL got 1st and 2nd in Juniors, 1st in Womens and my 4th. We race this same course in Jan and I'll move up a place atmo.
JG