Not necessarily a "regret" entry per se, but as always - the perfectionist that I am - I find something that I shoulda, woulda, coulda done differently with hindsight being my guide...
Steveston Sockeye Crit for Cat. 3/4 men yesterday. My last big race of the season. Flat, .9km rectangular course with generous turns that do funnel a slight bit, and beautifully long straightaways. Start/finish about 250 meters from the last turn. Barriers alongside with flat metal "feet" sticking out some 12" onto the course. 35mins + 3 laps.
This kind of course was "right in my wheelhouse" - translation > I should rip it up. I would characterize it as a 'dragstrip' and similar to the club crit I frequent on Thursdays.
Race went according to plan. First 10mins was 'hold onto your hats fast', probably 46-47kph average and then it settled down. The organizers were throwin' out primes every 3 minutes in order to keep the pace high, and their plan was definitely successful. I stayed in the first 10 positions (~40-45 starters) as planned so things were very smooth for me - very light braking and no out of the saddle sprinting out of the corners. Had a couple teammates that stayed further back to their peril - they finished the race but one went down (roadrash) and the other got clipped on his arm by a guy's tire when the guy crashed. I heard those sickening sounds of carbon and metal crunching but you know not to turn around and look, or next thing you know you'll be face-planted.
A few primes went by and I wasn't interested as they were pretty small ($20-25). Then a $75 prime bell rang and I was on it. Moved up to 3rd wheel or so coming out of the 3rd corner and sat at 2nd wheel corner coming out of the last turn. Jumped hard and because of my reputation locally no one challenged me. Gapped the field by 50 meters, at least. Cha-ching. Taking the wife and daughter out for dinner sometime this week
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Won that prime easily but the sensations in my legs were not good after, nor before then. I had went out for 3hrs on Friday (fairly easy ride, but WAY TOO LONG - my first regret) and I was feeling the soreness in my glutes. It subsided a little as the race went on but I was constantly feeling the fatigue. Didn't bother with the remaining small primes (a couple were for "wax jobs" - I KID YOU NOT! - from a local salon) and just sat in near the front.
Cut to the last lap. I'm sitting 4th wheel. A former teammate of mine took a flyer with 2 laps to go and built a good lead but it was apparent we in the field were just measuring him. The sensations in my legs were not great but I felt I still had something left for a good sprint. Coming out of the last turn I'm still in the same spot and the guys in front of me go to the left. I carried more speed through the apex so I drifted a bit further out to the right but making sure to avoid the barrier 'feet'. I jump a little late but because the finish was some distane I felt I had enough time to make up the distance and get on the podium at the very least. However, remember my former teammate who took the flyer was still out front and dying fast. As I was coming up to him he drifts to the right - DIRECTLY into my line so I have to shut 'er down about 75 meters from the line. A couple guys behind me zoom by and I probably finish 6th or 7th.
Give my buddy **** afterwards about sabotaging my race - half joking, half serious.
I know he had no idea I, of all people, was there. Do I regret carrying that extra speed through the turn - of course not. If my bud had drifted to the left, things woulda turned out differently. Woulda, coulda, shoulda - gotta love racin'...
No more Gilligan's Island '3 Hour Tour' rides a couple days before a big race...
