The race isn't over until the fat lady sings

Well it isn't...

I tried and tried and couldn't think of an interesting way to start this blog post. So you get the generic introduction, but it gets better as I go, so just hang with me.
I was really excited for the up coming Sanford Waterfront and Lake Mary Criteriums that were held last weekend. I remembered it from last year: Saturday's course: 6 turns, technical and mostly smooth pavement, then Sunday was 3 turns and very wide open. I'll admit, Saturday's course was more of my type, but I was looking forward to doing well both days.
I started the weekend with the 10-14 junior race, planning to sprint off the line with my teammates Casey Braga and Briana Luthman. After winning two $5 primes, I settled for 3rd place overall, but was saving some energy for womens 4 later on. My warm up (or is it reheat?) a couple hours after juniors, consisted of a light spin on the trainer with my teammates throwing mini marshmallows through my back wheel (for some reason, that is big hit with the guys. Easily amused...), and then it was time to race again.
It seems to me that the first few laps were pretty uneventful (because I can't remember anything interesting about them) so I tried to repeat last weekend's break away tactic. I stayed off the front solo for about two laps with the field in hot pursuit. Eventually three women formed a chase that caught my wheel and I hoped I could work with them. I pulled a few extra seconds once they worked up to me, time for them to catch their breath, and then moved to the left to let the next women go through. "Give me... a moment.... to catch my breath" she gasps. Well, well, well, I just gave her a chance catch a breath and she thought it wasn't enough. You should know of course, what I, in usual Michelle fashion, did then. I got right back on the front and hammered to make them suffer. But unfortunately the pack still caught us and I settled in behind the women thinking: "Fine then, I'll just beat you in the sprint."
Well, I did. When they rang the bell, I sprinted out of the first corner and stayed away until the line 5 turns later, winning myself $40 payout.
But the weekend wasn't over yet.
Saturday night was a very eventful evening with a team party at the Gordon's house (they have a beautiful home by the way). Of course, the parents talked long into night, we didn't get home until 10:00, and after a shower and everything else, I was in bed 11:00. Not saying the party wasn't fun, but something tells me that 11:00 bedtime isn't good race preparation. Ether way, I was still up and going Sunday morning (I actually awoke thinking it was Monday) and ready to race in Lake Mary.
The junior race was rather interesting. The PAL team (Police Athletic League) was out there in full force, along with most of the juniors from the day before. Zoe Mullins also did her first race on team Colavita, even winning a medal. In my category, I came in 4th overall in the sprint but came in first because of LAJORS (Lance Armstrong Junior Olympic Racing Series) scoring.
And then for my 4th and final race of the weekend: Women 1,2,3,4
Right from the beginning of the race, the category 1,2,3 women were going hard. It was all I could do to keep up and after a few laps, I was shelled off the back. Ok, I was fine riding along by myself, it had been a long time since I've been off the back in a crit and anyways, I had already done 3 races that weekend. But the fat lady wasn't singing yet and on the other side of the course, four women had made a breakaway from the pack. These racers were all 1,2,3s and soon they had lapped me. It was then logical that I jumped on there wheels and hung on for as long as possible. After a while, we began to be able to see the field just in front of us. From listening in on the breakaway's conversation though, I knew they had no intention of lapping them. So, sprinting as hard as I could, I caught up with the pack. The moment I was on the back though, Julie Bishop whispered "Go Michelle" meaning for me to just ride through the group and off the front. Well, why not I though to myself, maybe I could get away with this. Of course, the moment I moved up in the field, the women got into a huge conversation. First: "where did you come from?" Then: "Is she lapped? Is she a four, is she a three? Whats going on? Is she on the same lap as us?" Personally, I was still a little confused about what was going on, but I knew that for whatever reason, I wanted to get off the front, so I told them "Hey, I think I got lapped by the leaders (which was true) so can you guys just let me get a nice finish? You know, just a good way to top off the weekend." And the amazing thing was, they let me (but I don't think that's ever going to happen again). So for the last few laps of the race, I was off the front with another women, trading pulls and hoping so badly that the race would be over before the other cat 4s had figured out what I did. And finally...the fat lady sang.
I don't think I could have asked for a better weekend: Four races, four podiums, $100 cash won. But do not even think about upgrading me yet.

Photo credits go to Brad Gordon

Dade City Criterium

(Also on the Colavita Florida Racing Blog)
The Dade City Criterium, undoubtedly my favorite race of the entire season. Every year the 6 turn course has brought out the best results in me and now again, the tradition has held strong.
I began the day with the junior race. After winning a girl scout cookies prime, I placed 2nd in the finish, just behind my teammate Casey Braga. But it wasn't until later, in the women 4 race, that I really let the energy flow.
Lining up for the start after an entertaining kiddie race, the officials gave us the usual procedure, Then Jenny Collins, a friend of mine, came strutting across the line displaying a beautiful wrist watch that would go to the winner of the race. Don't call me greedy, but I wanted that watch, and for the first few laps I debated about how to win it. After seeing the womens 1,2,3 race earlier in the day and Tina Elliot do an amazing break off the front, that strategy had stuck in my head and became the one I chose. My first chance to get away came when they rang a prime for a pair of pink socks (say that fast 5 times). At first I had no intention of sprinting for them but when someone else showed some interest, I just had to. Not wanting to waste the attack though, I kept the power up after the line. I tried working together with the lone woman who had caught my wheel, but the pack caught up a lap later. Sitting in the group recovering, I waited for another chance.
This time when it came, we were on the back of the course and Jeniffer Doucett was taking a very hard pull. When she slid off the front, and in behind me, I quickly chose to make a break. Jeniffer was tired enough that she had little hope of chasing me down quickly and also served a purpose in blocking others behind from trying. After a lap of head down hammering, I found that one person had made the gap and we began working together for the rest of the race. I was very confident that I could beat her in the sprint so I made no strategy to tire her, just make the break work. On the last lap though, I timed my pull so she would be on the front the whole lap, basically giving me my own lead out. Through the last corner I sprinted, my momentum alone pushing me past her, and then on to the line.
Afterward I couldn't believe how well the race and the whole day went. A huge thanks to Kiefer Village Jewels of Dade City who supplied the watch I won and everyone who helped put on the race.