Lowell 50

So the Lowell 50 was amazing on Saturday! Super beautiful area and course, and the event was very well run. From the parking to the registration and the awards, I was impressed. I'm always looking for free stuff, and I got a new PINK water bottle holder out of the race, already a winner in my book. Further, it was a beautiful day; the first real 'summer' like weather we've had, and that seemed to raise my confidence even more than it was already.

*first row, fifth from left

I think I should mention how pro I felt at Lowell yesterday, but when don't I feel pro, right? We started with a neutral lead-out for maybe the first mile or so. That means there was a car in front of all the racers, and no one can pass the car until it pulls off. So the car is leading this group of around 250 riders through a beautiful area, we are all just going nice and easy, about 15mph, through a covered bridge, and then the car pulls off. The racing started immediately. Some guy took off right at the start but he wasn't strong enough and came back as soon as he left.

We then took a right I believe, I was still sitting about 5th wheel, and a big, rocky, uphill in sight. Of course, I'm all into it and I'm fine for about 20 seconds then people start coming around me and I can't hang at all. Ugh. Who would have thought. BUT, another group came around me once it started getting flat again. It's a bigger group, maybe 10 guys, and with everything I had in me I was able to grab the last wheel in the group and hang on. This is really all it takes to get with a group, but it still takes that 10 seconds of all out effort when you're already struggling to hang.

The entire race, I was with this 'chase' group. I'd say by the end there were about 15 of us, as we were really making up some time on the lead group and we kept picking people up and they would be able to hold on and join us. Now, something to note is that a bigger team out of BC I think, Athletic Mentors, had 3 or 4 guys in this group. It was a game of trusting that this team would want to catch the lead group, so they would be setting the pace the entire time, and they pretty much did. I had to trust that these guys would want to get back up to the front so they would be making sure our group was going fast, which was very well done.

Towards the end of the race, maybe 2 miles to go, I found myself in the front of this big group. I'm not quite sure how I got up to the very front, and I didn't really have any idea how many people we still had with the group, but I decided to lay down the hammer a little bit. I could feel everyone getting pretty tired, I was too, and I thought lifting the pace might crack a couple guys and get our group smaller. This didn't work; I brought the pace up to about 22mph but it seemed everyone was able to sit in the draft and match the speed. Then we got into a few little rolling hills and I found myself at the back of the pack with maybe 1.5 miles to go; not where I want to be.

Fortunately, there was a big down hill into the finish and I was able to take my own line on the outside and work my way back up well enough to have some sort of good position coming into the sprint. There was a big left turn, I was maybe about 6th in the group, and I could tell people were starting to wind up. I was just so happy I was still with this group at the end of the race, I didn't really make a move. I was exhausted, I had done a lot of work to stay with this group and I didn't have much left. I was able to hold my position but I couldn't pass anyone, so I finished probably around 6th in the 'chase' group, only about 5 minutes off the leader. I'm super happy.

3/16 Waterloo G&G, Grass Lake, MI (Gravel) 34th Overall (221) / 4th AG (6)
3/23 Melting Mann, Vandalia, MI (Gravel) 61st Overall (255) / 17th AG (31)
3/30 Dirty 30 Gravel Grinder, Saranac, MI (Gravel) 81st Overall (215) / 9th AG (24)
4/6 Lowell Classic, Lowell, MI (Gravel) 27th Overall (239) / 8th AG (15)
4/13 Barry Roubaix, Hastings, MI (Gravel)
4/14 Ann Arbor Spring Training Series, Ann Arbor, MI
4/20 Marian Cycling Classic, Indianapolis, IN
4/27 Yankee Springs TT, Gun Lake, MI (Mountain !!)
4/28 Ann Arbor Spring Training Series, Ann Arbor, MI
5/5 Fort Custer Stampede, Battle Creek, MI (Mountain)
5/11 Hammond Region Riot, Hammond, IN
5/25 Twilight on the Square, Akron, OH
5/26 Newark Center Classic, Englewood, OH
6/1 Deaconess River City Bicycle Classic, Evansville, IN
6/9 Dirty Donut, Martin, MI (Gravel)
6/16 Vuelta a Porta Sheldon, Grand Haven, MI (?)
6/22 Athens Brick Criterium, Athens, OH
6/29 Port City Crit, Muskegon, MI
6/30 Great Lakes Classic Road Race, Marne, MI
7/13 Detroit Cycling Championship, Detroit, MI
7/14 Corktown Crit, Detroit, MI
7/28 The Divide (Gravel) / Muncie Grand Prix, Muncie, IN
8/10 Rose City Crit, Jackson, MI
8/18 Gaslight Crit, Grand Rapids, MI
8/25 Debaets-Devos Crit, Detroit, MI
9/8 Uncle John's Dirty Ride, St. John's, MI (Gravel)
11/2 Iceman, Traverse City, MI

Yes! Would you look at that. I'm very happy with 27th overall. I wasn't able to hang with the front group, but I did hop on the second big group to come around me and I was able to stay with them most of the race! YES! I have a feeling Barry may be coming a little too soon for me. I've been training well and I'm super stoked with how much I've been riding, but I need some more time. I rode with Tim, Ryan and Ben up at Yankee today, and it was rad. First time on my new mountain bike and it was the best! My mountain bike skills have much to be desired, but my fitness is good and I was flying. I went out for a second loop with Ben and Ryan and they just destroyed me. They were gone before I was even able to see where they were, ugh. But, I'm just starting out with a mountain bike and there is a lot of technique involved, none of which I have.

We've got one more week of tax season, just about another week or two of school (I think??) and then things will calm down a little bit. For all those concerned, I'm taking 3 classes this summer so I can graduate next Spring! Yes, an end is in sight. I have a feeling this week is going to be one with little sleep. I have about a million things I need to do for school, and don't tell any of my professors but I haven't really started anything yet, ugh.

I'm super excited for the rest of this year, I'm pretty fast, I'm figuring out what works for me, and I am having a super good time doing it; the most important thing. I should probably be doing some homework. Big race next week, my plan is to just hang with whoever I get with, stay relaxed and calm, and hope to do well, let's do it!

Ha, oh. Today at Yankee Springs Tim and I passed some people, and of course trying to be as courteous as possible Tim said something along the lines of, 'oh no hurry, we're fine' to which she replied, you must be in a hurry if you're riding a pink bike. LOL Of course Tim and I both have the same bright super PINK mountain bike, that was hilarious, you had to be there.

Cheers! CE