Perry RR #3

Okay, I am about a week late on this one, but that's life.

Headed back to Perry # 3 for some redemption on my first Cat 4 RR... Ended up mid pack after the climb started kicking my butt. However, I did learn a ton that race. Being somewhat of a MTB convert (G-Wiz please forgive me!) I have virtually everything to learn about road racing.

Add All pics are Rogers. Thanks!! Very rare moment when I am sitting down on a climb.

The combination of being on Saint Patrick's day added with 30+ degrees and raining thinned out the field considerably. I still recognized some folks that I knew had decent legs already.

As soon as we headed out for the first lap of seven, it started raining. This did not really play much of a factor other than being cold and folks taking the corners pretty gingerly.

I thought this race started quite a bit faster than the last and my HR started to creep up pretty high from the start. I learned to attempt to keep out of the wind and conserve as much energy as possible. Which meant to be on the left side of the group on top of the bridge and the right coming back.

This is on the climb, lap 5ish.
Notice I can't climb in my saddle.  I simply hate climbing that way, although most guys are;
I think its from riding my MTB single speed for a long time. 

Come KOM time I wanted nothing to do with it and just kept a steady tempo to the top. I just don't have the legs yet to put too many digs in and still have legs left for the last lap.

Its been too long for me to remember all the details of the race other than come last lap people were pretty motivated. The corners I think helped me out, I wasn't as timid going though them and was able to keep on the group without too much effort.

I do remember however I felt great for the last 1/3rd of the race. In fact, I felt way better than the first 2/3rd of it. Good enough to remember it anyway...

Onto the last climb to the finish, after 6 laps and a previous race, you have gotten pretty familiar with it. Out of the saddle to start and then sit back down when it levels off and back out to finish it off when it pitches back up. Hit the last 100 yards with the remainder of the leaders (about 4-8 of us) and started to pass folks who where blowing up. Last 25 yards and I am sitting third, legs about numb from the effort. I thought I had 3rd in the bag when John Williams came by me and took it from me by less than a wheels length. Another lesson learned for sure!!

It took me literally an hour after the race to quit shivering from being so cold! I love it, what a blast this is!!

RESULTS

ROGERS PICTURES