Goals Race! Race Scratch (25 laps) There was so women's racing so I raced the B's.  Since I was racing the men I geared up to a 50x15.  Ray attacked on the whistle and I got dropped in a few laps.  I got back on and rode comfortable in the pack.  I even was on the front for a while.  Then someone attacked and as a couple guys passed me up track some guy passed me on the apron.  He passed on the blue and cut me off when he came back on the track.  After he passed I wasn't sure what to do and waited until everyone had passed.  But by waiting for everyone else to pass I got gaped and dropped. Points Race (40 laps) My legs were done.  I could stay with the group until a sprint but with sprints every 5 laps I just couldn't do it.  I ended up pulling off after a little while. Result No result.  I was a little disappointed there was no women's race, there were only 5 women.  I forgot how moving up to a bigger gear can make my legs feel like I'm lifting weights as first.  I had some fun but it wasn't as much fun as the Tuesday nights Larry puts on.  I think the bigger gear will be great for Wednesday nights.

Goals Race! Race Tempo (15 laps) We got to the track late so I didn't get a great warm up.  The tempo race started at very fast.  I fell off pretty quickly, got back in really nicely, then the pack split in half.  I didn't have the speed to catch up to the main group and fell off again. Win&Out (7 laps) I stayed with the pack until the bell but then I watched them ride away. Scratch Race (15 laps) I was able to stay with the pack until about 6 to go.  I got right back in when they came around and like the Tempo ended up behind guys that didn't have anything left and pulled up. Miss&Out I started out in a bad position but thought I would be able to get where I wanted to be after a couple laps.  We get the whistle and come around.  Just before we passed the line the guy above me at the rail freaked out and wobbled all over the place.  I backed off to avoid him and was called out.  My race as one lap.  It was lame. Result No result.  I stayed with the pack pretty well.  However after talking to some of the guys I think I am under geared.  I've been riding 49x15 (88") but other people were telling me they were riding 90"-91".  Next time I think I'll try out something a bit bigger and see how it goes.

Goals Race! Race Miss&Out From the beginning I was in the back.  We lined up at the rail and I was second to last.  I tried to move up when we rolled out but there wasn't really anywhere to go.  We had 3 laps before they started to pull people and I tried to move up.  Several times during the race I would somehow go from the very back to second wheel.  I knew I didn't want to be in the back so every time I saw an opening in front of me I took it before anyone else could.  The pace ramped up but I held my ground.  Someone attacked and the pack got strung out.  I really worked hard to keep my position and not fall behind.  I was doing great until I just didn't have anymore in me to push.  A gap opened up between me and the person in front of me and I was called out.  If I had closed that gap I would have been fine but I just didn't have anything left.  I rode as hard as I could and I got 8th! Scratch Race I was pretty nervous about this race.  Last year during the scratch race I crashed.  So I started out very cautious.  The race was fast but I just couldn't get comfortable.  I got squished between two girls from Portland, pushed off the track, and I fell to the back where I couldn't find a wheel I trusted.  I think my nerves got the best of me and let last years crash mess with my head.  A gap opened up and I fell off the pack for a bit.  I fought to get back on and as soon as I made contact someone attacked.  I didn't have it in me to match the speed and fell off again.  I rode with Laurel until 4 or 5 to go when we got lapped and pulled. Result I was a little disappointed with my scratch race performance but I did well considering my nervousness.  But I am really proud that I got 8th in the Miss&Out!  I'm very happy with that result.  I rode hard and tried to be smart about my positioning.  It felt great to really put everything I had out there and get a good result.  Next year maybe I can get a podium spot... that would be awesome!  I'm glad I raced and pushed myself to do well and show what I can do.

Goals No goals.  This race was my first crit since Merco in March.  Racing the night before had been so awesome I had a hard time sleeping.  I only had about three hours of sleep.  So I had little expectation for this race. Race The race was nice and fast.  We had $10 primes every lap so there was incentive to keep the pace high.  My legs felt like stone.  I wasn't having a hard time keeping up and sitting in but every time I would try something my legs just wouldn't move.  I was a little uncomfortable in the pack.  It's been so long since I've done a race not on the track that it took me a few laps to remember that everyone had breaks.  I was tired and my legs just didn't have anything in them so I sat in and didn't do much. Result Finished 17th out of 20-something.  I think I need more sleep and probably not racing track within the last 12 hours would have helped.  Oh well.  Now I know.

Goals Have fun and race.  There were about 15 riders, all Women Cat 3/4. Race Scratch (20 laps) The scratch race was fast and fun.  We averaged about 24mph.   I felt good and pushed myself hard to stay with the pack in a good position.  There were some attacks but none were able to get away.  Because of the huge men's race we had Julie Nevitt and Kira mentoring.  With 3 to go I hear Julie yell, "attack, attack!".  And several people attacked.  It got strung out quickly.  With one lap to go I got stuck behind someone and wasn't able to get around fast enough.  I finished about 7th just behind the sprint. Points Race (30 laps) I think this was my best points race ever.  The race was fast, about 24mph.  Normally in a points race I just hold on, hoping to finish with the pack.  So the first couple of sprints I sat in.  But I was surprised to find that I felt good and I was able to keep up with the sprints.  So I decided to go for a sprint.  The next couple of sprint I hadn't positioned myself very well so I didn't go for them.  Right after the fifth sprint I positioned myself behind Laurel.  I rode her wheel for the rest of the 5 laps.  With 200 to go she started her sprint and I held on.  Around turn 4 it looked like she was going to drop into the pole.  I waited just 1 second to long.  She ended up not taking the pole and that 1 second I waited to come around cost me.  I sprinted but she just got me.  I shouldn't have waited.  But this race was awesome.  I've never even been close to getting a point.  Next time I'm getting a point! Win & Out (15 laps) The Win&Out went basically how last week's did.  I totally blew it.  I tired not to make the same mistakes by getting boxed in or forgetting what lap we were on but I ended up in the wind the whole time.  The pack would attack then slow then attack then slow.  Cathy attacked with 5 to go but everyone just let her go.  It felt kind of like a 15 person match sprint.  Everyone was watching each other seeing what would happen.  With 3 to go I was caught not paying attention and missed the attack. Result The racing was awesome.  The food was disappointing.  But overall it was a great night.  I just got to keep working on my endurance and racing smarts.  I'm starting to feel confident in my legs now I just need to figure out how to get myself in a position to place.

Goals Have fun and race.  There were 14 riders, 12 Track Cat 3's and 2 Road Cat 2's. Race Tempo (15 laps) I've only done a tempo race once so I had no idea what to do.  I kept getting boxed in and wasn't able to get any points.  With four laps to go I found myself at the front of the pack chasing down two riders.  For some reason I made the mistake of pulling off the front just before another rider attacked.  I had to play catch up the rest of the way. Scratch Race (10 laps) There was a three rider crash in the Women's 4 race so all the races were shortened.  Our scratch race was very short.  The pace was high from the start but not to fast for me to comfortably hold on.  This time I was hoping to get on a good wheel and have a chance at the sprint.  Although I did find a very good wheel to follow the rider in front of her was not the best to have followed.  The sprint came and I boxed in.  I should have move up track a lap or two before hand but the race was so short I didn't really think about it. Win & Out (5 laps) I've only done a Win & Out once before and I had been very confused.  The race started out pretty slow for the first two laps then someone attacked and the race really started.  But just like I had done in my first Win & Out someone got confused and thought she'd won and pulled off the track.  A bunch of girls were yelling at her and everyone slowed down for a second.  In the confusion someone attacked.  Bev won the first sprint and we had one lap to sprint for 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.  I again got boxed in and didn't place. Points Race (4x5) We finished the day with a 20 lap points race.  I was pretty tired, hungry and a little sun burnt by this race.  I hung on really well the whole time and felt good.  I didn't go for any of the sprints.  I kept getting myself in bad positions. Result I had so much fun.  It was really great to see so many women out on the track.  As for my racing, I did learn that I need to work on positioning myself better.  My legs felt good but I just couldn't get myself into a place to score some points or sprint for a placing.  I kept finding myself looking for a place to tuck in and draft.  But the races were so short I really didn't need to do this as much as I did.  I need to work on testing my limits to see just how much I can be in the wind and how long I can really hold a sprint and how long I can go fast, etc.  I had a lot of fun and I really learned what I need to work on for my racing.  I think this Get Ready for Summer was one of my best day of racing this year, not in terms of placings/victories but for learning about what I need to do to be a better racer.

Goals Have fun and race. Race Keirin (first heat) - I started up at the very top.  This was the first time for me starting way at the top so I wasn't really sure what the best way to get a good position was.  I was able to get third behind the motor in the pole, so not too bad.  I held on until a little after the motor pulled off.  When the motor pulled off the rider in front of me got pushed onto the apron which surprised me and it took me a second to recover.  I wouldn't have hung on too much longer anyway but it threw me off just a little to have someone get pushed off the track in front of me. Scratch Race (24 laps) This race was fast and I hung on pretty well.  I worked on getting back in the pack and trying to time it right.  The first attempt at getting back in I missed by just a little but was still able to catch back on.  The second and third time I tried getting back in the rider I got behind would get gapped and then pull up track.  There were a lot of riders getting dropped throughout the race. Result There was a big crash in the C's Miss&Out.  Three ambulances later they had a restart.  But it was already late in the day and I was hungry.  Jeff wasn't really in the mood to finish racing and neither was I.  So we left.

Goals Have fun and race. Race Keirin (first heat) - I had a bad start to this race and ended up in the back.  I tried to hang on as long as I could but got gapped with 2 to go.  Finished last. Scratch Race (25 laps) This race was really fast.  I held on as long as I could and when I got dropped I'd pull up to the rail rest and jump back in.  I got plenty of practice using the banking to get back into the pack. Miss & Out (19 riders) I got an okay position to start with and sat comfortable for half the race.  When the pack thinned out I played the devil a bit and got three riders pulled.  I just wanted to have fun in this race.  I got caught in a bad spot and was pulled.  But didn't do too bad. Points Race (3x10) Like the scratch race I held on until I couldn't. Result No result.  My legs felt very flat.  A couple of weeks of high stress, no sleep and midterms took its toll.  I was slow and sluggish but I had fun.  It was beautiful and sunny and felt like summer.

Goals Race! Race Scratch (25 laps) - There was a full 3/4 field so Larry asked the women to race in the 4/5 field.  The 4/5 field had 23 riders.  There are four or five really fast guys that tore the pack a part.  I got dropped with a smaller group, mostly women, and pacelined with them.  We ended up getting lapped by the lead group.  When the lead group passed us somehow I ended up getting separated from the group I was in.  So I pulled up to the rail and tired to drop back in when they came around but I didn't time it right and missed them. Points Race (5x8) I didn't do this race.  I was riding Shelley's Rock Lobster that Rob had brought for me.  The bike itself fit but the handlebars were too wide, the stem was much too long and the seat post was set back a little so I was in a weird position.  The whole scratch race I spent kicking myself in the stomach and chest because I was so bent over.  It made my back hurt a lot so I needed to sit out. Result No result.  I'm really excited about my new bike.  Once I get it set up properly I think it'll be awesome!

Goals Finish. Race I did this race last year and barely finished with the pack.  I was a little nervous about this race since I've only did one other road race ever, which was this race last season.  Rolling to the line I couldn't get my computer to find my heartrate monitor and I was worried it'd be downhill from there.  We rolled out and I felt pretty good.  Nothing really happened during the first lap.  We just rolled around at 20mph.  The second lap there were a few attacks but nothing that broke up the pack.  We hit the last set of rollers and I tried to move forward so I wouldn't get caught behind people falling off.  I was surprised that I felt so good.  So I decided to just give everything I had and either I would have a result or I'd pop.  So I gave it everything.  we turned the corner with 1k to go and people attacked up the climb.  I held on and yelled at my teammate Alice to grab a passing wheel.  I passed a bunch of people and got over the top.  I saw 200m to go and my legs were giving out.  I gave a last little bit I had to jump on a wheel and get to the line.  I got to the line sat up and realized I was right behind the sprint and there was no one behind me. Result 11th out of 39.  I finished 11th!  I never thought I would have a result like that in a 48 mile road race.  I guess all that time climbing this winter has made me a better climber, weird.  My legs were done after hitting the line.  I had to keep spinning for a while to keep from cramping up.  I gave everything I had left and I got 11th.  That's a result I can be proud of.