Eugene Roubaix - 5/1

Carpooled down to Eugene with a couple other Master racers to hit the Eugene Roubaix race. The quick summary is that I got dropped on the 4th lap on "the hill". Very dissappointing to ride the last lap all by yourself. However, a few days after the race I've had time to reflect and get things into perspective.

Number 1 - Road racing isn't my goal this year. I really haven't started any hard intervals yet, so it shouldn't be a surprise that I get dropped when the cat 1/2 riders hit the hammer on the hill of the last lap.

Number 2 - I've come a long way in my strength. I first did this race as a cat 5 in 2008. It was my only DNF as a road racer since I got dropped on the same hill on the 1st lap. Yikes! Now I'm racing with the cat 123 Masters crowd and I made it to the last lap.

Number 3 - Cramps suck. It's a similar story to last year. I get dropped when my legs seize like bricks and I'm in crying pain if I try to turn my legs any harder. It happens during the attacks after I'm been on the bike for 2+ hours. Looks like I'm not the only one based on this article that came out today. I'm pretty sure my issue is the "train right" section. I'm typically doing 60 minute rides on the rollers during the week. Now that the sun is out later, I'll be getting in some longer rides.

The OBRA road race calendar changes now and there aren't many 1 day road races left. I'll be doing some evening races at PIR and Tabor. My next big race will be the Cascade Classic at the end of July. I better get in some long rides before that!

Here's a cool photo of the gravel section. It's about 1/2 mile long and everyone stays in the car tire "lanes". This year the gravel wasn't very deep in between the lanes, so it really wasn't a big deal. Actually, it's the easiest part of the race since your in a paceline and in a tailwind. It adds a fun twist to the race. Photo courtesy of OCA