A 1:47pm start time was tricky as far as food was concerned. I didn't want to eat a full lunch, but enough time would elapse between breakfast and the race that I had to eat something. I elected to eat coffee.
As the day went on it go more and more cloudy, windy and cold. By the time we lined up, I wanted to get moving just to warm up. The start was on a paved incline, at least a 4% grade, which is what we call a hill in my part of NJ. We took off and I entered the grass portion of the course in 4th because I suck at starts. Shortly thereafter, I narrowly avoided a rider in front of me who went down and settled in to a race pace effort. By the third lap I was in the lead and thought to myself "holy shit, you might actually win." I crossed the line for the fourth lap, disappointed when I din't hear the bell ring and realized that this would be a five lap race...but I stuck it out...and I opened the gap on my closest competitor...and I won. It was the first time I had won anything in my life, aside from $75 on a scratch off lottery ticket a few years ago.
There was no podium, but I have this to prove it...
Bypassing the post race beer at Lancaster Brewing Company (which would have put me in the direction of the PA Turnpike), I drove home on quiet farm roads, past horse and buggies (shout out to my people, the Amish) and the scent of methane.
I...unpacked my bag, did a 20 minute yoga podcast, ate dinner, took a bath and went to bed...just another glamorous Saturday night in the life of a Cat 4 racer.
