Tuesday, Race day

I am rarely late for anything, usually I am early, especially track races.
I need all the time I can get to warm up and be ready to go full on.
My down loaded schedule listed open track time from 7 to 9.
My race started at 10. One race only, a 500 meter individual TT.
I am up early, 7:00, figuring that if I am on the track by 8:45 I will have plenty of time to warm up with Chris's warm up schedule. Of course, it rained all night long and is severely overcast and in the high 50's again. The streets and parking lot are wet. I'm thinking rain delays.
Breakfast and then pack the car, off to the track.
Inside the infield, the area is mostly dry and there are people riding on a dry track. Looks like rain any minute but good for now.
I find the race schedule posted in the tunnel and find that I need 1 number on, not 2. I find a place to set up and while getting ready I here the announcer say the track will close for open training at 9, it's 8:35. How did I not understand that even though I had it high lighted in yellow on my schedule!! Races before me start at 9, of course no open training from 9 to 10.
I get on the track and roll around in warm up gear for about 10 minutes before the track is closed. Dam, did I learn something?
I get a neighbor to adjust my numbers. I change to my race gear and set up my rollers. There is a warm up cement track inside the real track so I roll around that for a bit and then get on the rollers for about 20-25 minutes. Not what coach Chris suggested and I was planning but all I can think of to do.
In between I go to the bike check area to make sure my Teschner set up is legal, it is.
The schedule works through the age categories. I am in the Men's, 60-64 group. There are 10 Heats, with 2 riders per heat one starting on the home straight, one on the back.
The good thing is I am not a bit nervous. Just being on the bike calms me down. I am in Heat 5, starting on the home stretch. I watched a few races to make sure I was aware of the finish line for me at the pursuit line on the back straight. Start is on the pursuit line of the home straight.
I do a few false starts from a roll on the warm up track and head to the bike check again and then get in line to race.
The clock reads 15, then 10, 9, tone at 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, high pitched tone and I'm off. The start is a bit slower then I would like, out of the saddle, turn 1, turn 2, back stretch, sit going into turn 3 and try to stay low through 3 and 4. Not a great line, close to the red sprinters line, very bumpy concrete surface on this part of the track. I get through it, down the home stretch, going through turn 1 and 2 I start to feel a bit stressed but get on it as best I can going to the finish, bike push and I'm done.
As I'm rolling off I hear the announcer say 42 and some odd seconds. I know I've heard others in the 39's so I know it's not great.
Back on the rollers to cool down. Eventually the first guy out who had a 37 something gets beat with a 36.9 something.
Awards are handed out and take a while. Dave, Linda and Dan Casper show up and we talk a bit before the track opens for training again.
Finally, I get to complete the training schedule that Chris has prepared for me. I feel better to be on schedule again.
I'm in a 51/15 now and warm up for about 20 minutes and then do 2 Flying 200 efforts. The first is 85% the second probably 95% full on. It's taking a while to get used to riding fast on this track, easy to ride slow but that's not what this is all about. My last effort, 899 watts at 54 kph top speed. Seems a bit weak on watts but the speed seems about what I usually do. Maybe the bigger gear is a watts limit. Seemed smoother than my 500 effort though.
After 2 efforts I'm done for the day. Time to pack and get some lunch.
Before I leave, I eventually find the time postings.
Official 42.66 and 42.19 kph speed. 15Th of 19 but 1 DNF. There is about 3 of us at 42 seconds and similar speeds. Fastest time was 36.9??? and if I remember 48+kph.
All things considered, I feel ok. I didn't really come to do a 500, I came to sprint on Friday. This is just a great training day to prepare for Friday.
Lunch and back to the hotel.
The adventure continues with a day off and a very casual bike ride in the Garden of the Gods.
More pictures to follow.