Criterium!

As a change of pace, I signed up for a road race this weekend. A criterium to be exact. No dirt, no gravel, no mud, no barriers. Just pavement, and 40 other riders all crammed together on a one mile circular course.

 

Why? Chalk it up to a sense of adventure, a bucket list kind of thing, and because I need a high intensity workout. The intensity of my rides hasn't been all that high so far this year. Yes, there have been long rides, tough hills, and a few races which pushed me to my max. But not so much on the interval front yet. There is still plenty of time. The first DINO race, the "Tune Up" isn't until the 25, but I'm still overdue to kick things into high gear.

 

So, I figured a 45 minute crit (Cat 4/5 of course) would be a perfect way to jump start the high intensity training, while also keeping the competitive fires stoked between the Barry Roubaix and Tune Up. Expectations for this race? Very little. I'll be riding my cyclocross bike with cross gearing (46/36 up front, 11-28 in back) and 35 mm hybrid slick tires, since I use the bike for commuting and some natural surface riding.  The result? A not very fast bike. But that's ok. Plan is to try to stay with the pack, probably on the back, and get in a good workout. Might be a $25 workout, but there is nothing like having other riders in the mix to up the speed and intensity (key word of this post I think).

 

Race report will be forthcoming.