Let me start by saying this – when I roll out onto the track – I often through ‘caution’ to the wind. I make random, seemingly senseless attacks for no apparent reason. I could be off the back for 3 laps – catch the field and attack without notice. I never go easy – I rarely use the tactical sense that I could/should. I could VERY likely get much better results if I used some proper training techniques, focused and raced with 2 ounces of common sense. That being said … I get a great workout every time I race. That’s what I am TYPICALLY trying for. Perhaps all of that feeds into what I am about to tell you…
As you can guess, last night was race night. It was my least favorite night – especially after 2+ weeks of suspect training. Chariot, Win-and-In and 8 Mile….
Chariot – This race – by all accounts, was created to make you hurt. It’s basically a little over a lap, from a standing start, Ready, Set, GO! If you hit the start right – you go really fast. If you have 350 meters of power – you win. If not, you complain that you hate that stupid event. 75% of the races are won on the start. I know how to start well. I don’t always time it right, but I know how to start very fast. If my legs are right, if the time is right, if I get my mental game on – I go fast. Typically – I fade in turn 3 and falter. Well – last night I came out of the box like a ‘rat on crack’. I hit the “GO” perfect and was flying instantly. I didn’t quickly got the lane and stood up well into turn three. I was flying. I was expecting others to come around me but in this glorious 25 ish seconds of pain and suffering, I was able to hold off all takers. The win was good and I am quite happy. I realize, it means very little but I do like to win. I like to race hard and I don’t think I could have gone any harder. The ironic thing is this paragraph took 8x as long to type as the race took to complete. It was good to know I will end this season with at least one win. The don’t come often, but when they do – they make me happy.
Win-and-In (The Australian Hat Dance) – I truly hate this event. I was smoked from Chariot and it showed. I finished in the field. Closed a few gaps, but really – I was an integral part of “pack” – the filler.
8-Mile (Not just a place in Detroit) – FAST FAST FAST … I exploded 3 miles in. Tried to rejoin a few laps later and they were going FASTER. UGH! I watched as people quit – realized if I just finished I would get 5th and score a point. I finished…
Not my best night of racing, but there was a diamond in the ruff. It may very well have been my last Wednesday of the year. I may have to turn my focus to Tuesdays as we have some new commitments on Wednesday.
Final note – the way my upper body feels today – I need to do more work on that in the off season!