Return to Racing

I took my bike out racing yesterday. The race was at Dalton about 80km for Canberra. Dalton is a town of about 100 people and it is 15km from Gunning. It doesn't have too many buildings but they ones they do have are old and interesting. It of course has a pub and outside the Dalton pub they have these lovely metal horses!

I didn't race much last year, so it has probably been about 6 months since I have raced, I always dread getting back into racing as it is painful, nothing prepares you for racing, except racing- it take racing to get your racing fitness up. There had been a race three weeks before, but it ended up being shortened due to roadworks, and then there was a break over Easter so yesterday was my first full length race. It was 38 km and quite undulating, no long steep hills but a few longish steady climbs. There were about 16 riders in our group, my goal was to stay with the main bunch as long as I could and hopefully to the finish. At about the 15km mark there was a long steady up hill and one of the riders was pushing up the hill to try and drop some of us. I was starting to lose contact and had probably dropped off about 10 metres and hoping I could get back on. With the help of another rider I did, but then felt sick for the next 3 or 4 km. Fortunately it was then down hill for about 4km so I just sat on the back and managed to recover. I stayed with the main group, by then about 6 of us to the finish and managed to come third, so I was very happy. Not only had I finished with the bunch, but managed a place, and also it was First, Second and Third to the girls! We averaged 31.2 km over the 38 km course- so no wonder I am feeling a bit tired today.