Riding Circles at Greenbelt Park

Greenbelt Park Series "B" Race (Cat 4/5)
May 25, 2011
[updated with picture]
Distance: 22.4 miles (16 laps)
Duration: 55:41
Average Speed: 24.1 mph
Place: 19 of 50 (a full field tonight)

This one hurt.  I wasn't exactly sure why until I got home and took a look at my power file.  The pace was higher, the humidity and temperature were higher, the number of laps was higher.  I do recall wondering why the number 12 lap card did not seem to move much during the first 3 or 4 times around the circuit. I felt seriously taxed from the start tonight, however, so I just assumed that observation was a mistaken artifact of my generalized state of cerebral hypoxia. Guess I was right though as we did 16.

So Greenbelt is one of those kinds of races.  The whole thing is just a prelude to the ultimate question of who has legs left for the last 400 meters.  The rest of the race is about getting to that point alive and with some gas in the tank for the last-lap surge to the line. Tonight I had more left than I have before; although my placing was about the same, it nets out better for me in light of the larger field and increased workload required to deliver oneself to the line. So that's good. Showing improvement.  But let's face it, I've got a long way to go yet.

The Greenbelt B Race finishing sprint, May 25, 2011 -- LaRue in for 4th