Cherry Pie is the first big OBRI race of the year. Usually, it is a few weeks too early in the season for me to confidently race, but I was feeling good about early racing this year. I’m normally not superstitions, but I do believe in supernatural forces. The week before, I had some good omens. For one, pavement finally became exposed and I got my first road rides of the year the week before. Then, while hot tubbing with my little boy on Thursday night, we happened to look up and saw a hole in the clouds that was perfectly shaped like heart directly above us. It was so unmistakably distinct that it must have been a sign from heaven, especially given the date.
So the race day arrived and we were able to shed all of our winter clothes and get on with the business of racing. I’m really proud of our boys coming straight off the snow and rocking a road race. In the Cat 3 race, El-Train lived up to his name and as I was hitched up to him for a free ride on the final lap of racing. I had to take a detour around some carnage to get up to his wheel. The crash had me locked up sliding sideways and around the debris.
I ended up in a bad and good place for the final turn onto the finishing climb. It is the shortest climb in the world but it was wreaking havoc all day, so being up front on the turn kept me out of potential mischief. After the turn guys were all over the road in every field, literally. Gears were grinding, people sprawling on the road, finishers puking by the officials table, and everyone showing their fangs. This was all in a stretch of about 200 meters of a gentle upward incline in some neighborhood outside Corvallis. I lost some positions on the climb, but I was very happy with 8th place. El and I executed our plan just as we drew it up. I was off the front 4 times with some good opportunities and we both rode the race well.
I’m looking forward to the upcoming races and maybe I can get some more Windergy guys yelling at me.
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