The Power of Visualization

Like I said, I haven't slept well this week. Every time I closed my eyes, I pictured myself in today's crit. I thought about every corner, every straight, every climb, and how and when I would attack. Amazingly, today went almost exactly the same as I'd been imagining.

Somehow, I scrummed well enough to get a first-row spot (I am still very upset that the first thought in my mind was "I don't belong up here, let me get one of the other Rutgers guys to switch places". F that noise). Like a good 'crosser, I clipped in immediately and found myself in 4th wheel (AngryMark, being both a good 'crosser and a good sprinter, was already drilling it in 1st wheel).

Everything was like I hoped it would be. Lap after lap, I followed wheels and stayed comfortable. Cornering felt like child's play. Gaps closed before I even realized I was closing them. I got used to the fluidity of the pack; I was in 2nd wheel, then I was in 20th wheel, then I was in 10th wheel, and so on. It was very comforting to have a bunch of RU guys with me in the pack: AngryMark, BigGearWill, BeastMasterChris, and Noah constantly appeared around me. Sadly, HardTailJay didn't have a good day and was not in the pack with us.

Warming Up at Camp Rutgers... I'm 2nd from left, with the bare calves
With 3 to go, it was clear that I would, indeed, finally finish a freaking race. Goal #1: check. Now I needed a new goal, and as I took the 1st corner, I weighed my options: Sitting in would guarantee a pack finish (boring), sprinting could result in a top 10 (unrealistic), and attacking could risk everything but maybe earn me a win (holy crap!).

So we took the 2nd corner, and I immediately scrapped my plan, because I was relatively far back in 10th wheel and the wind was wicked. A gap opened on the sheltered side of the strung-out pack, and I rose out of the saddle to occupy it. Noticing that Chris was on the front, and that I was now suddenly in 4th wheel, and carrying a lot of momentum, I shifted up and sprinted. As I passed Chris, I shouted "Chris, block! Block!"

Holy crap did I just attack?!? Stop thinking! Dig dig dig go go go pedal pedal pedal!

Chris, being awesome, slowed slightly. Not enough to let others come around him, but enough to let me build a gap over the pack. Within 100m I had 5 seconds. At the 1st turn I had 10 seconds.

Oh my god this might actually work...

Then I hit the headwind. 2nd turn. I hit the hill. Oof. 3rd turn. As I got caught with 1 measly little lap to go, Chris counterattacked in a textbook display of team tactics. It seems that our work set up the team's sprinters, as AngryMark and Noah took advantage of our attacks to rest up before the bunch kick, or whatever it is sprinters do when their teammates are up the road. They got 2nd and 6th, respectively. I finished at the tail end of the pack in 30th.

I truly don't mind that I crossed the line in such a poor position (Will says he's never seen someone so happy to finish dead last in the pack). It was just so exhilerating to animate the race, dictating to the others how the drama would unfold, saying "You will suffer and chase me down, or else you will lose". Okay, so I don't quite have the fitness to make that move stick... yet. Still, this race was exactly what I needed, and I'd like to offer my enthusiastic congratulations to AngryMark, who put out massive power while showing true savvy to make the podium.