Hello everyone, and good morning! Sitting here at the computer, listening to the news in the background, eating my steel cut oats, and drinking my coffee. The usual morning routine. What's on my mind this morning? Boulevard! I thought it would be a good idea to post another entry before the race comes this Saturday and I'm unable to later:) Why's that?
I decided to transfer my registration from the Cat 4 race to the Masters 35+. Good idea? Not sure, but I do have my reasons. First and foremast safety. The Cat 4 field always fills up, a full 100-rider field, and as anyone who's ever raced before knows, the Cat 4 category is kind of the "catch all" category, that is, it's open to most every kind of racer out there. Juniors, seniors, fairly inexperienced racers, etc. Couple that with the fact that Boulevard is the first big road race of the season, combined with bad weather, and things can get sketchy real quick!
Second, a later start time. The Cat 4 race begins at 9:30am, and again, anyone who's raced Boulevard knows it's almost always very cold, windy, and often times wet. The Master 35+ race begins at 12:50pm!
Third, I've always said, if you want to get faster, ride with faster riders. I know I have little chance of placing high in the 35+ race, but I'm hoping to learn something by watching older, experienced riders, some who were possibly ex-pros, applying some strategy out on the course that you rarely see in a Cat 4 race.
And lastly, the Cat 4 race is two laps around the Boulevard course, that's about 48-miles, a good, hard workout, but anyone who knows me knows that I prefer riding long distances. The Master 35+ race is three laps, which totals 67-miles. That's going to be a great, harder workout!
My strategy for the race. Honestly, sit in, stay out of the wind, let the stronger riders pull me around the course, and just try and survive, and hopefully cross the line within the pack, and not finish dead last!
Sunday's plan as of now, is to ride down to Mira Mesa and watch my friends compete in the Red Trolley Crit. It's always a nice ride down the Coast Highway, a perfect way to spin out the legs after Boulevard's brutal beat down!
Hope all is well, until next time...(I hope!)...
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