Georgia Games

The Georgia Games crit was held on the same course as the Brooks crit in March at the Griffen Greenbelt Industrial Park in Griffen, GA. The fast course was approximately 2/3 mile with four left turns on short sides and two long straights. The front straight was slightly uphill, and the back was downhill. 

Six ladies, 2 Cat. 3's and 4 Cat. 4's, lined up. Since the fields were so small, the promoter ran the divisions together. We were to do 35 minutes plus three laps. Temperatures were in the mid-80's, but with the high humidity felt like they were in the mid-90's. Part of the course was in the shade, which was a small relief. The race started off as a typical Cat. 4 race--everyone sat on going about 18 mph. After two laps, Donna Kerby (C4), the other Cat. 3 rider, decided that she'd had enough. She went to the front at about 25 mph and strung the rest of the field out. She caught the Cat. 4's by surprise, but I was right on her wheel. I knew that Donna would not make things easy on us. My legs were feeling like dead weights after not having done any intensity since my last mountain bike race two weeks ago. I have spent more time in bed trying to rest and recover from a sinus infection than on my bike out training. My goal coming into this race was to get some intensity in and try not to get heat exhaustion. Ten minutes into the race, I was sitting behind Donna with the Cat. 4's behind us. We would ease up coming up by the finish area as we went up the small hill and would then push the back side on the downhill. A few laps later, Donna sat up and let the Locos team go to the front to pull for a few laps. We drifted to the back to talk strategy. On the next lap, one of the Locos girls took off. I went after her but should not have. I survived with the group for another lap but felt light headed. I suddenly could not breath and began to weave a little on the bike. I pulled out of the peleton and sat up. I rode as easily as I could without stopping to try to catch my breath. I was still light headed but my heart and respiratory rates came down after one lap. I sat up for another lap to let the pack catch me. I hopped onto the back, but within half a lap I wheezed again. I sat up for another two laps, about 3 minutes. When Donna, Lisa, and a Locos rider came by, I hopped on. The other two women had been dropped and were on their own. I was comfortably at the back of the pack with about 8 laps to go and Donna pulling. She had not let up the pace while I was recovering. I sat in the back for a few laps before moving up behind Lisa into third position. With four to go, we sat up. Donna asked if I wanted a lead out for the sprint. Not having gotten to particpate in a field sprint in a while, I said yes. Donna picked up the pace with two to go and gapped the Cat. 4 Women. I hopped on her wheel, and the two Cat. 4's caught us. With one lap to go, we were in a good position. I relaxed down the backside after I asked Donna to bring the pace back a little bit. We dove around Turns 3 and 4. With about 200 yards to go, I came around Donna but realized that I was in one gear too large. With no time to downshift, I put my head down and cranked my legs for all they could go. I nipped the Cat. 4's by about 2 bike lengths. 

Even though I had a really bad VCD attack during the middle of the race, I'm happy that I won the field sprint. This race was a good way to get back into the swing of training after being sick. I came in second in the Cat. 3's.