"It's no surprise to me I am my own worst enemy"

    - from the band Lit

 

Yeah, I heard that song driving up to the races today and it was exactly how the day started out.  I got up later than I needed to and got on the road later than I should have.  Got to the track at a late time and signed up for the Pursuit just before registration closed.  I thought I would be put last in the pursuit rotation, but instead I was put first and that truly sucked.  I got to ride a few laps on the track, but I didn't get a warmup and that truly sucked.  No one to blame but myself, but I can't even really be mad at me.  You see, Cap'n Late has a long record of tardiness.  I should have seen it coming and I should have gone up to LA the night before.  I considered that option yesterday, but then I just couldn't get my stuff together in time and so I didn't.  You see, I was late on the previous day as well.  I think I must have years and years of built-up lateness that I somehow just can't shake.  Maybe I need some sort of exhorcism.

 

So I'm just not that good at waking up in the morning.  I don't know - it's just not my thing.  I'm a night owl not an early bird.  Whatever.  For any race that I have to leave SD before 8 or 9 AM, I better just get a room the night before.  (As a side note, this is also why I have trouble making weekend group rides that start at like 8:15 AM.  Ugh.)

 

But what about the pursuit time?

 

26 Aug 06 - 5:19.70

15 Sep 06 - 5:12.01

 

Now, that's a decent improvement for 3 weeks - I'm getting back in shape a bit - but it's not really an apples to apples comparison.  Different equipment, different bike position.  Whatever.  I'll still take the improvement.  I could have gone faster if I had just gotten a good warmup in.  If I can get the time down closer to 5:00 by Nationals on Oct 4, then I'll be a lot happier.

 

Anyway, did a 30 km Points Race later in the day, and that went okay.  I was maybe a bit undergeared, and that made it kind of hard in the first 50 laps, but in the last 70 laps, I was able to cruise a lot more effectively.  Didn't go for sprint points - just tried to get in breakaways off the front to try and get a lap.  Didn't work.  And I missed the move that actually did get a lap - it was a counter to a move I had just been in.  Oh, well, the race was still positive though, in the sense that I got some good speedwork in and I actually felt comfortable mixing it up in the race, etc.

 

More racing tomorrow - Scratch and Madison.  Should be fun.