The Sterling Road Race was today, about two and a half hours away in Sterling, Massachusetts. Although I had to get up at 4 to get up in time for my race, it was not a bad trip at all. Making things even better was the great, efficient organization of the race. They have been doing this for fourteen years, and it shows.
After a neutral start, the course climbs a steep but short hill to the finish line and then the real racing begins. The first half of the eight mile loop is a rolling climb, with a few moderately steep pitches and a few typical New England rough road patches. Then the course turns to the right and begins a series of fast descents with some fast rolling climbs. The last third of the course it a gradual climb that does not really feel like a climb, or at least it didn’t today, with a decent tail wind keeping our pace almost 30 mph. In the last mile, there is a short selection climb, where the pack will begin maneuvering for position, followed by a flat section and then a hard right turn and the finishing sprint hill.
On the first lap, I stayed at the front, but safely tucked in behind a guy who apparently felt like leading the entire lap–he never asked me to pull through or even looked back. We hit the climb past the finish line fairly hard, and I decided that I would take it easy and watch for the best opportunity to attack later in the race. For the next three laps, I sat in the middle of the pack, sometimes finding myself a bit further back than I really wanted to be, but I didn’t worry about it too much. I knew that the course would open and I would have a chance to move up when I needed to.
The pace slowed quite a bit on the fourth and fifth laps. It was obvious that people were getting tired, and this started to show in their bike handling. About a mile or two into the final lap, the pack slowed as it tends to do when the pitch got a little steeper, and three or four guys who were not paying enough attention banged into each other and went down. I was right behind them, but my super-criterium handling skills helped me out as I dodged rolling bodies. I tried to squeeze past to the right, but another super-criterium handler had taken that line, so I then played super-cyclocross handler and went way off road into deep sand and then hopped back onto the road. As I did this, I mentally thanked Fender Nazi, who led all of those dirt road rides this past winter; they really helped.
On the long descent in the final lap, I started planning my move up. I gained a couple of spaces, but knew that the real spot was shortly before the selection hill. I patiently waited, keeping my heart rate low and my breathing easy. Just as I expected, the pack moved slightly to the left about a mile or so from the finish, and I used the right side of the road to move up quickly into fifth position overall. Just in time for the selection hill.
Again, just as I expected, the selection hill proved to be the pivotal part of the course, and the pack surged ahead here as racers knew that anyone not in a good place here would have no chance in the sprint. I stood up to make my move and again cramped up in both legs. It was not as bad as before, but it effectively ended my chance to do well. I was able to pass a few people, but I was passed by even more.
It was a disappointing race, but I am glad I was able to finish with the pack this time. I need to find out why I keep cramping even though I am doing absolutely everything you should do–lots of electrolytes, plenty of fluids, stretching, massage, and on and on. I just don’t get it. But again, I did finish, and that’s a plus.
The Hobgoblin of Little Minds 
I think this is really important. Despite cramping you finished and that’s a huge victory. You know you can beat other people. It’s beating the demons inside that is the real triumph (and I speak from long, long experience). I’ll keep urging you to be gentle with yourself. My less talented male students do better at exam time often than the really talented ones, as the former rely on strategy, not on their own brilliance, and that takes the pressure off.
Not only did you finish – but you STARTED! You get major props for doing these road races, and not only for doing them but for doing well. I don’t have any additional insight on the calf cramping.
Litlove has it right – the internal fight is where the REAL race is. And you stared THAT down and won!
Hope to see you at either at Stafford Springs or Hartford (next week! yikes!)
Hey SOC–I’m doing the Hartford C4 race, so I’ll see you there!