Race Report: 2007 PCRS #1

The Prairie City Race Series has existed for about 15 years now. For years I always meant to enter the fray, but never did for one reason or another. With the 2007 Coolest 24 race looming in early May, and my fitness level not quite where I wanted it to be, I thought getting a few mid-week training races in my legs would be just what I needed.

I signed up online for the 40-49 Sport Class. I considered racing Expert because they raced an extra lap, but thought better of it. As much as I needed the training, I didn't need the humiliation of being crushed by much faster racers.

Warm weather greeted us for the first race of the series. I took a few warm-up laps to familiarize myself with the course. Conditions were dry and dusty. I lined up at the start knowing that getting to the front would be important due to the dust.

We took off and I managed to enter the first corner in third position. I held that spot down the long straightaway downhill:



I kept third place for the whole lap. I had a solid gap on the line of people behind me, but the two in front of me were pulling away. Unfortunately, I started fading midway through the second lap. Someone passed me. Then another. And another. I didn't have the aerobic fitness to maintain the early pace I set, and I paid for it.

By the end of the race I slipped to 8th place out of 36. Not bad, but not the top five I had hoped for.

The only other thing worth mentioning was this guy who fell and nicked his chin a bit:



Yeah, that's blood splattered all over his legs and bike. Yes, he toughed it out for the whole race. Respect!

Later.