I raced the Whitnall Park crit today. Its a hilly little course with one sharpish turn. They combined the women 4s race and the women's open, but scored us separately. So of 30-ish starters, there were about ten 4s, five cat 2s and the rest were cat 3. It was a HARD race, one of the hardest I've done.

I like a hard race. Attrition takes care of a significant portion of the competition. This one was 40 minutes, and we managed so shell about half the pack. After 25 minutes. a breakaway of three got off. Both teams in the break had teammates in the pack - some a lot of teammates. They were effectively blocking. I chased, but my teammate Luke yelled at me to stop from the sidelines - they weren't 4's.

So I sat up. But I didn't sit in enough. I wasted too much energy in the wind. I like to stay near the front so I'm not blocked in and slow to react when an attack happens. I get gapped less when I'm closer to the front. But I kept finding myself too much in front. I have to work on that.

On the bell lap, I worked to get into a good position for the sprint. We were all fighting for position, and managed to drop another 5 or 6 racers. On the second to last hill, I saw one of the dominant teams form a leadout train and take off. I knew I wanted to be on that train . . . but I was so exhausted. I couldn't get there. I grabbed another wheel that went by and gave everything I had in the final uphill sprint. I crossed the line at my max, dried snot all over my face, just about ready to vomit [bike racing is so charming], in ninth place - second of the cat 4s. Turns out the cat 4 who won was the one being led out by that train I missed.

So, I'm still working on getting it all together. But ninth in the women's open is not bad. I can realistically compete at that level.

And I won $35, a case of double espresso clif shots and two upgrade points. Woo hoo.