GC Training Race
by John Fillyaw, NARC

Date: 3-12-2005
Place: Birmingham, AL

I skipped the Brooks/Griffin race this weekend in favor of a more low-key race with a mountaintop finish in Gallant, AL (near Birmingham). My goal in coming to the race was to assess my climbing fitness in a race environment. The event was put on by GC cycling, and they did an excellent job. The race featured A, B, and C categories instead of the usual USCF cats. I chose the "B" race, but one tough guy rode the 30 mile "C" event (that did not have the finishing climb) and then "B" race (that did have the climb).

I chose the "B" race that consisted of 4 laps of a 9.5 mile loop and included a 4 - 5 mile stretch of probably the worst pavement I've ever ridden in my life. To make that section even harder, it was into a head wind. The race started with 36 guys, and 2 women. After about 12 miles, a group of 4 established a break and opened up a gap of about 30 seconds by the pseudo pave' section. I thought we'd bring them back, but the chase could not seem to stay organized so they continued to stretch their lead. A couple of miles into the third lap, we had the only crash of the day. About 6 riders went down; I avoided the carnage by playing weed whacker on the shoulder. After that, whatever impetus the group had to chase the break was completely gone.

The fourth lap got a bit quicker with the field apparently trying to weed itself out before the climb to the finish (one with think the climb itself would take care of that). Anyway, by the end of the fourth lap, I'm feeling sufficiently noodle-legged so I wasn't expecting much of myself on the climb.

Not wanting to move up before the climb only to be humiliated in the first 200 meters, I started the 1 mile uphill stretch near the back of the main group. This climb has an average grade of 10% with pitches that exceeded 20% (I checked on DeLorme maps). Apparently, most folks in the group we feeling it as much or more than me. I surprised myself and finished 3rd in the main group and 7th overall so I was very pleased.