Kalamazoo Race Weekend

About to win my Prime!

Kalamazoo race weekend was suppose to start out with a short vacation in Paw Paw,  however that got derailed by a massive thunder storm on Monday. On Wednesday I was suppose to meet up with some friends from Chicago and stay with them through the weekend.  Unfortunately the house they had rented was damaged in the storm.  Luckily a new location was found in Fennville.   So Wednesday I started my vacation, which was good because I was still run down from the previous weekend.   Thursday I got do a nice ride around the small towns bordering the lake.  All and all a very relaxing weekend.  As far as racing goes I did manage to show up to the BTR criterium, and I was actually feeling mostly good for a change.  It was another blazing hot day though, so that would not be in my favor.  My race was scheduled to go off in the heat of the day and run for 75 minutes,  it was in the mid 90's.   For me the race started out slow, I just sat at the back taking it easy.  I also had realized that going near 75 mins in this heat would be hard for me since I am still behind on fitness.   So, I used this to my advantage.  I decided to race the day for Prime's (Intermediate Sprint Prizes).  So three or four laps into the race I went off the front solo since the pace was slow.  I quickly built myself a nice gap, but one guy bridged to me.  Regardless I took the first sprint for cash and went back to the field.  When I got back to the field I got run off a curb and then dropped.  I made a mistake though, I should have just crashed to take a free lap.  Oh well, I still had money in hand so I just decided to call it a day.  My fitness is improving, it will just take time though.  It wasn't a bad day though, I got to test where I am at and also win some cash.  Back to the curb incident though, I am a little disappointed with how this went down.   There was no reason for the field to block me like they did, 4 different riders refused to give me room to cut in line heading into a corner.  The last rider in which cut me off in the Apex of a corner sending me on the rounded curb scrubbing all my speed.  Rather then crashing several people I rode the curb/ grass.  Needless to say it was uncalled for and an unsafe move for the rider to my left to run me on the curb, he is lucky I can bike handle otherwise there would have been carnage.  As to why I got dropped, my panic/surprise/bike handling caused my heart rate to spike so I didn't have much room to recover and hop back onto the field at high pace.  Hopefully by next weekend I will find some form to race with some strength and go after finishing with a top 10.  

Food Poisoning!

While the weekend of July 9th, 10th was suppose to be my return to racing...Taco Bell said otherwise.  In the wee hours Saturday morning before I was suppose to race my body went into shutdown and expel mode.   I had manage to come down with a good old violent case of food poisoning.   Just when I thought my bad luck was over something just had to happen.   I wasn't about to let that keep me down though, I still went to participate and support the weekend races.  Up first was a brand new event, a Criterium in downtown Detroit.  The circuit was set up next to the Tigers baseball stadium.  The event was really great, however it was also super hot.  Even though I had no energy I suited up and did 3 laps, retiring on the third.  By no means should I have been racing, however I had already paid and registered weeks prior and just by being at the start I was just a number in the field.  Which is good for the future of the race.  I spent most the day in the shade trying to keep fluid down.   All and all I hope the event returns for next year, its also nice having races located close by.

I'm hanging on in the back...about to puke

Sunday I was feeling a bit better, I had managed to get some food down.  Once again my strategy was the same.  I had already paid and registered so I showed up to be another number in the field.  The race was part of the Midwest Charity Race Series and very much needed riders to show up.   So I started and almost made it the full lap of 3.2 miles before I got dropped.  Once I finished my lap though I went straight to the tent to hide in the shade and drink fluids.  While I was hoping for a much better weekend I still managed to at least have a little fun and go watch other people race.  Next up is Kalamazoo race weekend, hopefully I can get well before then.