This is my first road race. Josh had PMed me some tips on pack riding and pace lines. That came in handy, because I'm quite slow to figure things out at 20 mph.
Immediately I found a pace line that was going 24 on a bit of flat ground. I figured I'd just coast along with them for a while. Yeah, that didn't work. Then I was alone for a while, which was horrible. I rode up next to a pretty lady who was alone, and she said, "I can't seem to catch a tire." I told her to get on my butt and we'll find a pace line. I pulled her until a group passed us. We grabbed on and headed north on Hayden. It was a diverse group. A tandem bike was pulling for a long time, then there was a fixed gear bike; pretty lady and I were in the mix. She kept yelling "please don't drop me." Eventually that got annoying so I took a turn pulling. I'm not sure why but no one followed me, and eventually I was alone again.
I tried moving from the tandem/fixie group to a faster group ahead. It was BRUTAL, fighting the wind. I got SO CLOSE, within 10 feet of the guy's back tire, but I just couldn't get on it. They pulled away. Eventally, I found yet another group. Well this pattern went on for hours.
I think it was Bush Hwy when I was in my favorite pace line. I rode with the girl from last weekend's Olympic tri, the one whose chest I doused with water at the aid station, twice. Turns out she's quite the talker. She was motivating.
I worked my way to the front of that group, waiting my turn to pull, when I saw the 3rd pretty girl of the day. She was draped in orange spandex atop a white chariot. She looked like she was miserable. DREAM GIRL!
Jen rode with us until the big fuckoff hill. One of my goals was not to suck hard on this hill. I tried to keep a steady pace. Pretty girl from the water station road up much of it with me. Eventually I got tired of her hot ass and I stood up and mashed my way out of the valley. I found myself descending alone, which sucks. My back was spasm-ing (doh!) so I really couldn't stay low for more than a few seconds. A huge pace line WHIZZED past me LED BY TRAVIS. Ha! He yelled out to me. I sprinted hard to try to get on a tire, but I failed, I failed. That was sad. Near the bottom of the hill I found a guy with tree trunk thighs and latched onto him. We found a 3rd rider and the 3 of us took turns breaking wind till we got home. The last 10 miles were horrible. Horrible windy flats.

Stay in pace lines more. Don't try to gap to another group unless I know I can make it.

Hung out with Tanya, Jen, Josh... got my medal and went home.


Great race. I think I want to do Tour of Scottsdale next. Who knows.