America's Longest Running Bike Race and 3 Days of Bike Joy!
Memorial Day weekend was filled to the brim with bike joy here on the East Coast. Saturday kicked off the fun with the Easton Twilight Criterium, followed by Plainfield’s pancake flat race on Sunday, and finished with the Tour of Somerville on Monday. Somerville also happens to not only be a great experience for both racers and fans, but it’s the longest running bike race in America. It truly did not disappoint! Kudos and gratitude to the organizers, event staff, promoters, and community across the board.
RACE REPORT (s):
The crowds were loud, the sun was hot, and the races were FAST. I had a great experience all 3 days and expected both Saturday and Monday to be additionally challenging with them being combined fields for women’s cat3, cat4, and cat5 together. Before you wonder or ask, I’m at cat4. Sunday in Plainfield was the smallest field size and by far my best efforts racing this year.
Grid start positions on Saturday and Monday placed me 7 to 8 rows back from the front which was a new experience for me that I surprisingly loved.
Saturday the whistle blew, I clipped in, pedaled twice, and looked up to see the cat 3 riders at the front turning the first corner never to be seen again as they fought for the state champion title. The course was technical and featured a long uphill climb to the start/finish that cooked me lap after lap. A bad crash with 4 laps to go neutralized our race and after standing still in the hot sun for 15 minutes I was pretty gassed for the final few laps. Just happy to finish in tact.
Sunday’s race in Plainfield featured my best efforts so far this year and I finished mid-pack with a decent sprint finish to pick off a couple riders before the line. It was one of those days where I proved to myself that I belong out there and all my hard work in training kicked in for me. All the racers rode a great race start to finish. I got dropped mid race for about 2 laps in which I put my analytical side to use by timing power efforts that I knew I could sustain from training sessions earlier in the month. This allowed me to tow myself back into the main peloton and it was a huge confidence boost.
Monday in Somerville I was pleased to not repeat Saturday’s mistakes coming out of the starting lines at row 7 and stayed with the main group until the 2nd to last lap when they turned up the speed. I finished alone as the last rider to not get pulled from contention. Honestly, I know I rode super timid that day and wasn’t as mentally checked in as I should have been. Still a good day on the bike.
LOW NOTE OVERALL - Missed opportunities to move up and gain spots keep placing me in bad positions to finish well or stay with the front group when they pull off at the end.
HIGH NOTE - I stayed upright and crash free for 3 back to back days of racing and drove home with a smile on my face, tired legs, and a happy heart.
To all the friends (new and old) who shared in all the fun, you made the weekend absolutely GRAND!
