| Date/Location: | March 15th, 2015 – Zamora, CA |
| Distances: | 2 x 14loops |
| Place: | Cat 4, 14th |
Great to be back at Bariani! Bummed that Troy is sick and cannot compete today. He and the 
girls are supporting me. Thank you God for that!
My group is the last to go. It’s not quite as big as last year but still a big turn out. Last year I got dropped within the first 5 miles because I stayed in the back and missed a big move at the front of the pack. This year I need to put myself closer to the front and watch for movement.
The girls and Troy wait at the start with me. We pause and pray…for protection and focus on Jesus.
Ready, set, go! It’s been a while since I’ve been in a road race and I’m a little nervous about the close quarters. I pray for peace. I’m doing a much better job already paying attention to what the group is doing. We get to the spot where I lost the group last year…a series of zigs and zags in the road. I am a bit cautious on the rough road but am able to keep my momentum and stay with the group.
I am struggling a bit to stay up front. Girls seem to get antsy and then start moving up. I then find myself in the back and have to look for opportunities to move back up…which is hard when the field is taking the entire right lane and it’s difficult to pass without going over the yellow line.
Finally the road straightens out and the road gets much nicer. The speed increases and the group splinters for a moment. I’m pleasantly surprised how I can surge well to catch back up with the pack. Still, no one is trying to make a big move.
We make the last turn to finish off the first of two loops. I know that Troy will be looking to see if I’m trying to stay close to the front so I move up to just behind the leader. I see Troy and the girls waiting on the hillside. He tells me good job.
This gal continues to lead for the next few miles. Soon the group gets antsy and girls start moving up. I find myself close to the back of the pack again. I have to wait until the road gets better and a little wider before I can move up.
The group starts ramping up again. I get ready to surge but get stuck behind a rider. I say “on your left” like in triathlon but she doesn’t move. Eventually, I get around but the main pack has taken off…oh dear! I get in my drops and dig deep. I am very slowly gaining on the group. I’m surprised again that I have the leg speed to do this. Thanks God! Little by little I close the gap and catch back up just in time for the last stretch to the finish.
I see a few gals take off and the rest of the pack stays back. I wonder if I should go after them. It would be nice to get out of the pack. It’s starting to get a little squirrely back here. I barely miss hitting a girl that comes out of nowhere on my right. I want to get out of this craziness! 1.5K to go, yes, I’m going for it. I take off and start chasing them down. Uh-oh, my legs are pretty tired from that last chase…and those girls are further ahead then I thought…and I look back and the pack is looking pretty ominous!
I catch up to the girls about the same time the peloton does. The peloton flies by like the 3 of us are standing still. I get into my drops, put my head down and go as fast as I can. I can see the pack moving further away…incredible! I put my head down and continue hammering. As I look up again, there is a girl on the ground…oh, no! I roll by her and see that somehow her handlebars got stuck between the back wheel and frame of another girl. How this other girl is standing up and not also down on the ground is a mystery to me. I can see help is on the way so I continue to dig.
I can see a girl coming up alongside me so I push harder. I’m able to beat her by a half a wheel length at the line. Wow, thank you Lord! It’s good to be done and not on the ground!