Another good PR race

As is usually the case, I thought there was a good chance we'd have a rainy race at PR but luckily the rain stayed away. The track was a little wet in places but nothing major. For a while I even wondered if we'd be having a race since there were only three of us there a few minutes before 7. Luckily some more girls showed up late due to traffic.

I think there were about 7-8 of us but this was the first time I was the only one in the beginner's group. I figured I'd be in for a butt-kicking but it really didn't turn out that way. I had another good race and was able to bridge to a break, stick to the pack, and push the pace a bit in places.

My hamstring was a bit pulled and sore from Wednesday's workout so I decided to refrain from really hard sprints until the end. I saved my energy for the final lap and for the second week I stuck to the pack around the last corner. When the sprint went off I wanted to go but sat back a bit since I wasn't sure my hamstring was feeling up to a 150% effort. I still cranked hard but stayed seated and rolled across the line in 4th spot.

I'm happy with my performance but I regret not going all out at the end. I think I could have caught the top three girls sprinting for the win which would have given me a huge confidence boost. Oh well, I figured I'd rest the hammy for the Lake WA Velo race on Sunday. I'm starting to get the fitness level but I need to be more aggressive. I'm definitely competitive but sometimes I second-guess my abilities and find myself saying "Hmm...I don't think you can outsprint those girls", so I sit up and give it a good effort but I don't bury myself. I've never had that problem before, so not sure what's up with that. I think as I start to gain confidence with my strength I'll get more aggressive. Last week I buried myself and look what happened -- I got the win!

The first race of the Lake Washington Velo series is this Sunday and I'm absolutely seeking my first pack finish. It's a flat course and flats aren't my forte but I think I have the fitness to stick with the pack.

I feel like a slacker today for missing my workout at Headquarters. I didn't sleep too well and was beat this morning so I opted for some extra sleep. Oh well, since the gym is closed Mon looks like I'm stuck with a T/W/Th/F workout from hell next week. I guess I better rest up...