First Race of the Season 올해첮대회!

Last weekend was the first race of my final collegiate road season ever (and also first collegiate road season in 5 years).  It was great to get back out there and mix it up with the IU cycling club Men’s A team.  This season should be a totally new experience for me since all of the courses on tap this year are ones that I never raced when I was an undergraduate.  This past weekend we were at Lindsey Wilson College in Kentucky.  I’ve been there many times for mountain bike and cyclocross races in the past but this was my first time to do road there.  The courses were pretty awesome both days and we had great weather too.

Saturday’s road race was held on a brutal 25 mile course that had several long and steep hills on it.  I knew it would be a challenge for me to stay fresh til the end and I was anxious to see how our team of 9 A riders would perform.  Everyone rode well with us getting two riders in the winning break away.  I didn’t ride as well as I hoped for but didn’t race terribly.  I realized that the winning break had formed and attempted to bridge up to it during the first lap.  I got with in 10 meters of joining but my lungs weren’t working and I blew up and had to float back to the field only for the break to gain 8 minutes on us!  I sat in the pack and recovered and started feeling good during the start of the third lap.  Unfortunately I bonked with about 10 miles to go and road in alone for 25^th place.  I definitely need to get in a few more long rides to build up my endurance before the next race weekend.

The criterium on Sunday was much more up my alley and I was hoping for a top ten finish.  The race was pretty fast and full of attacks but I felt from pretty early on that the race would come down to a field sprint.  It didn’t seem that any team was satisfied with any break away combination so everything got chased down after a lap or two.  I sat in an moved up to the front with 3 laps to go.  Unfortunately I was underconfident in myself and waited to start sprinting so I got a bit boxed in at the finish.  I still finished 8^th place though which I was happy with. 

The IU team performed well too with us placing 3 riders in the top 20 each day and getting 7^th in the TTT.  Our women’s A riders rode great too with a 3^rd place in the TTT and a top ten finish on Saturday.  It looks like we will have a strong chance of qualifying for nationals as a team this year.  The next race is in 3 weeks at Lindenwood University near St. Louis.  I’m hoping to have a stronger road race there and another shot at a field sprint in the crit. 

지난주말에 내 대학교 로드 시즌 시작했어요!  우리 인디에나대학교 자전거동호회들이랑 켄터키 주로갔어요.  나 오래 동안 대학교 로드 대회 못탔어서 신났어요.  이 대회장소 산악이랑 싸이크로크로스 대회 많이해봤지만 이번에 처음로드대회타로왔어요. 

토요일대회는 로드레이스 이얐어요.  코스가 40키로 3주회 그리고 큰언덕 많았어요.  우리 팀좀 잘탔지만 나 좀더 잘타고싶었어요.  첫 바귀에 브레이크웨이 나갔지만 나 천식대문에 못붗었어요.  하지만 우리 팀 2명있었어서 괜찮았어요.  3번째 바귀 시작할때 나 잘타고있었어요.  근데 음식 많이 안먹었어서 15키로 남았을때 나 Bonk 했어요! 그냥 피니쉬까지 혼자 25등했어요 (초 60명). 

일요일에 크라이테리엄대회 더 잘타고싶었어요.  코스 가 찐자재미있었어요 언덕한나있었고 재미있는 커브있었어요.  시작부터 어택 해본사람들 많이있었지만 다 잘못갔어요.  나 그냥팩뒤에 좀쉬고탔어요.  마지막 3바귀부터 앞으로 나갔어요.  나 마지막 300미터에서 앞에있었지만  8등했어요.  이번에 첫시합이야서 나 기븐좋았어요.  다음대회 까지 나 열심히 준비할거에요. 

우리 팀도 잘탔어요  매일 20등안에 3명있었어요!  대학교대회는 MCT 랑비슷해요 포인즈 시리즈 그리고 잘타면 전국 대학부 대회 탈수있어요.  이번에 4월말까지 대회있고 5월 첫분째 주 Richmond, Virginia 에서 전국시합있을거에요.  이번 에 우리팀에 잘탈수있는사람들좀많아서 타같이 전국대회 로 갈수있을거같아요! 다음대회 는 3주후에 St. Louis에있을거에요.

 

Me tail-gunning it at the crit.  나 크라이테리엄대회에서 팩뒤에타는중. 

Thanks to Jen for the pic!