Capitol Region Road Race 8/11/07

I could tell it was the end of the season when this race started. I didn't feel like racing and was already anticipating it being over before we even started. Not good.

They started us all out together. The pro123 with the 4's. The pace was steady until we hit a sharp turn into a climb. The field was immediately shattered. Right before this turn a buzzing creature decided to fly into my sunglasses. I feared being stung in the eye and blinked quickly to try to make sure the bug/bee? didn't touch my eyeball. I slowed down and let riders pass until the buzzing stop, but then as I proceeded to pedal faster I started to feel something in my eye. I must have gotten part of a wing or foot or something in my eye. It felt like an eyelash on steriods. I think had it been any other day I would have gotten pissed and jumped right back on with the riders, but I wasn't in a good mental racing state and just said "oh, forget it" My legs hurt and I really didn't feel like working. Bad attitude!

I found myself with about 4 other riders and we started a rotating paceline. Within a few miles Cecelia appeared and she worked with us. We all finished the first lap together and then proceeded to do the second and final one. We reached the big climb that one of the riders in the group kept calling Alp d'Huez. Halfway through the climb I looked back to make sure Cecelia was on my wheel. She wasn't.

We finished the race and I got second in my group in the final sprint. I started sprinting a second to late and couldn't get the speed to pass the woman who beat me at the line by a couple inches. So close.

The race was only 44 miles, but seemed so much longer. Maybe I need to start doing some yoga to get in the zone before races. Not my best race. I think I got 16th.