24 weeks

Yes it was a long winter, but at the end of my 24th week of training I pinned on my number and pedaled toward the start/ finish. Some may think that nearly 6 months without racing is too long but... I would agree. How about that argument? I would have liked to race in Boulder at the begining of March but the race was cancelled so I settled for some intense group rides and some "tear your legs off" climbing epics. Heck, I would have raced Valley of the Sun in mid-February had I received my Cat 1 upgrade in time. But it wasn't meant to be and now it is April and I have less than 3 hours of racing in my legs. I'm not complaining about the racing here in Michigan, I'm a creative guy so I make it work. I have invented the "Spring Training Series Sandwich" using 2 slices of hearty, two-hour endurance rides. So even though the race is less than an hour, I end up with a 5.5 hour, 100+ mile day.
Saturday was a beautiful early spring day with temps around 40F, a slight breeze and a clear sky. I wasn't feeling very well in the days leading up to the race but managed a 4th place on the day. The important thing is that I made it a hard race, attacking often, and riding most of the day in a small break. What amazed me while riding in the break was how inefficient we were. I was very close to "going Belgian" on my breakaway companions and screaming at the top of my lungs about pulling off into the wind and riding withing inches side to side... but I refrained and muttered "godverdomme" under my breath. My last lap attack was unsucessful and my unmatchable sprinting prowess (it's true, I'm now a pure sprinter) could not secure the "W." Since I didn't win, my mom told me that she wouldn't drive me home unless I rode another hour at 300 watts... so I did. And that was Saturday.
I'd imagine all Michigan bike racers know Runway Plaza, the venue for the Spring Training Series. 4 Sundays in the spring, a simple 1km crit loop, a perfect 2 hour ride from my driveway, and 24 years running. That right this series has been going on longer than I've been alive. The man who runs the show, Paul Alman, is the cornerstone of Michigan bike racing and truly cannot be thanked enough for his contributions to the sport. The weather on Sunday didn't draw record numbers but at least 40 riders made it out for the first day of Runway 2008. I don't do these races to sit in, socialize, or even practice my tactics. I do these races to train, to attck a lot, and to go hard for the race's short duration. So that's what I did. Within the first 5 or 10 minutes we had ourselves a little breakaway. I pushed it hard up the small rise to the finish on many laps and attacked more times than I can remember. Lapped the field and placed 2nd. The day wasn't over though as I scarfed some food, filled my bottles, bundled up and pedaled for home. I beat the rain home and hit the couch. A day on the bike doesn't get much better than that. Unless you win of course. Note to self: win next week. 8 more days, 2 more races, Belgium here I come.