Well...last night I took my first attempt at the Grattan Race Series. I was scared to death ahead of time as the prospect of hairpin turns, high speeds, and tightly packed groups seemed pretty intimidating. Hell...that track would be intimidating on foot, at slow speeds. The prospect of taking THOSE turns at THOSE speeds was enough to have me looking for ways NOT to race. Sure I had shown up with my bike...but, that was no reason to assume I was capable of the level of bike handling required to survive. We parked the mini-van in the grass...so, I immediately started looking for a hole in which I could I step and break my ankle.
"Oooops. Sorry everyone (mostly MC), looks like I won't be able to race for medical reasons." Limp, limp.
But...as usual, MC was there for me. He raced last night. More importantly, he helped me not to do anything stupid. Well...he did his best. My stupidity may or may not have been controllable. However, the fact that the evening didn't end with myself or anyone near me being carted off in the ambulance is directly attributable to the advice that MC gave me.
In any case, I had a blast. It was, at once, the most frightening, fun, and exhilarating thing I've ever done on a bike...or even off of a bike...in the last few years. I had more fun than I can explain. It honestly couldn't have been any more frightening...I'm reasonably sure that once a certain level of adrenaline driven athletic performance has been obtained, you really can't crank the knob any further...regardless of circumstances. As far as I'm concerned I had reached maximum...I was not capable of being any more frightened. If Grattan Raceway had 300' vertical cliffs off each side of the pavement....I wouldn't have been any more scared. Yet, I had a blast!
I was expecting it to be hotly contested, and the pace to be high. I had been warned by MC, Da'Ve, and J2 (John Jasker). But, I wasn't fully prepared for how difficult it was going to be to many other regards. I had no idea that the track would have hills...I was expecting something flat. I had no idea how easy it was to find yourself inexplicably out of the draft and needing to work to get back in. I had no idea how fast the accelerations would be, how tight the corners would be. It was shocking. Truly shocking...if you've never witnessed a bike race like this...its worth going. You just can't believe the speed at which a tightly packed group of bicycles can take a corner. It just doesn't seem feasible until you are in it, or witness it.
It was immediately clear to me that strategy played every bit as big a role as physical conditioning in the outcome of the race. Perhaps bigger. It took me a few laps just to figure out how to find a way in to the middle of the pack where I could take best advantage of the draft. MC seemed to just stay there....it didn't even look like he was working at it. I, on the other hand, felt like I was constantly struggling to find the 'sweet spot'. It was astonishingly difficult to keep yourself in that position once you found it...I spent a few more laps trying to figure out how to come out of a corner in the same position in the pack as I had been in when we went in to the corner. Many times I was in the right spot in the pack, went in to a corner thinking I had the right line, and came out of the corner on the other side only to find myself at the outer edge of the pack and back in the wind.
I survived...I stayed on the lead lap, I stayed on pace and in the pack, and even lead the pace for a little while (about 1/2 lap). So, I am definitely considering it a success. And, I'm definitely going back. As soon as I can!
It should be mentioned that any success I had was largely due to the help I got from MC, Aaron (another VCC guy at the race), Shugah, and others. But, mostly MC. He showed me where to go, how to ride, where to ride, who to avoid, who to follow, and just generally how to conduct myself. ANd, I must say, he took some pride in my performance last night. And, he should, because, again, any success I had can be attributed directly to what I've been taught by him and the rest of the circle of friends who ride in Holland. MC took the time to blog up on the topic of my performance last night. His conclusion about my performance was positive...really positive. I'm really not even sure how to react...I felt like I did, last night, what I was told I should do. I rode, to the best of my knowledge, the RIGHT way. And, if it weren't for MC, VCC, MCC, the Crazy Bastards, and others...I wouldn't have known what the right way was.
Now, if you're reading this...you might get the impression that I won the race. Or, finished near the front. Or, was spectacular in some way. But, that simply isn't accurate. I finished on the lead lap, near the back of the pack after the sprint...I was definitely a long way from being in contention. But, I cannot explain how big of an accomplishment that is for me when I look at where my fitness level was a year ago. Or, even 6 months ago. Honestly...just surviving the race was a big deal. And, I only survived because MC showed me what needed to be done.
Naturally, I'm already planning to go back and trying to figure out how to get better. I need to be a little faster. I was definitely riding near my upper limits last night. And, that left me with no room to go faster when needed. Sadly...I can't race next Wednesday. I'm in Chicago for work. But, the following Wednesday I'm racing again. And, somehow, I'm going to figure out how to get faster. I. Must. Get. Faster.
If you're available, and if you've never had the chance to witness the Grattan races, I encourage you to join me. It is truly a spectacle!
"Oooops. Sorry everyone (mostly MC), looks like I won't be able to race for medical reasons." Limp, limp.
But...as usual, MC was there for me. He raced last night. More importantly, he helped me not to do anything stupid. Well...he did his best. My stupidity may or may not have been controllable. However, the fact that the evening didn't end with myself or anyone near me being carted off in the ambulance is directly attributable to the advice that MC gave me.
In any case, I had a blast. It was, at once, the most frightening, fun, and exhilarating thing I've ever done on a bike...or even off of a bike...in the last few years. I had more fun than I can explain. It honestly couldn't have been any more frightening...I'm reasonably sure that once a certain level of adrenaline driven athletic performance has been obtained, you really can't crank the knob any further...regardless of circumstances. As far as I'm concerned I had reached maximum...I was not capable of being any more frightened. If Grattan Raceway had 300' vertical cliffs off each side of the pavement....I wouldn't have been any more scared. Yet, I had a blast!
I was expecting it to be hotly contested, and the pace to be high. I had been warned by MC, Da'Ve, and J2 (John Jasker). But, I wasn't fully prepared for how difficult it was going to be to many other regards. I had no idea that the track would have hills...I was expecting something flat. I had no idea how easy it was to find yourself inexplicably out of the draft and needing to work to get back in. I had no idea how fast the accelerations would be, how tight the corners would be. It was shocking. Truly shocking...if you've never witnessed a bike race like this...its worth going. You just can't believe the speed at which a tightly packed group of bicycles can take a corner. It just doesn't seem feasible until you are in it, or witness it.
It was immediately clear to me that strategy played every bit as big a role as physical conditioning in the outcome of the race. Perhaps bigger. It took me a few laps just to figure out how to find a way in to the middle of the pack where I could take best advantage of the draft. MC seemed to just stay there....it didn't even look like he was working at it. I, on the other hand, felt like I was constantly struggling to find the 'sweet spot'. It was astonishingly difficult to keep yourself in that position once you found it...I spent a few more laps trying to figure out how to come out of a corner in the same position in the pack as I had been in when we went in to the corner. Many times I was in the right spot in the pack, went in to a corner thinking I had the right line, and came out of the corner on the other side only to find myself at the outer edge of the pack and back in the wind.
I survived...I stayed on the lead lap, I stayed on pace and in the pack, and even lead the pace for a little while (about 1/2 lap). So, I am definitely considering it a success. And, I'm definitely going back. As soon as I can!
It should be mentioned that any success I had was largely due to the help I got from MC, Aaron (another VCC guy at the race), Shugah, and others. But, mostly MC. He showed me where to go, how to ride, where to ride, who to avoid, who to follow, and just generally how to conduct myself. ANd, I must say, he took some pride in my performance last night. And, he should, because, again, any success I had can be attributed directly to what I've been taught by him and the rest of the circle of friends who ride in Holland. MC took the time to blog up on the topic of my performance last night. His conclusion about my performance was positive...really positive. I'm really not even sure how to react...I felt like I did, last night, what I was told I should do. I rode, to the best of my knowledge, the RIGHT way. And, if it weren't for MC, VCC, MCC, the Crazy Bastards, and others...I wouldn't have known what the right way was.
Now, if you're reading this...you might get the impression that I won the race. Or, finished near the front. Or, was spectacular in some way. But, that simply isn't accurate. I finished on the lead lap, near the back of the pack after the sprint...I was definitely a long way from being in contention. But, I cannot explain how big of an accomplishment that is for me when I look at where my fitness level was a year ago. Or, even 6 months ago. Honestly...just surviving the race was a big deal. And, I only survived because MC showed me what needed to be done.
Naturally, I'm already planning to go back and trying to figure out how to get better. I need to be a little faster. I was definitely riding near my upper limits last night. And, that left me with no room to go faster when needed. Sadly...I can't race next Wednesday. I'm in Chicago for work. But, the following Wednesday I'm racing again. And, somehow, I'm going to figure out how to get faster. I. Must. Get. Faster.
If you're available, and if you've never had the chance to witness the Grattan races, I encourage you to join me. It is truly a spectacle!
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