This weekend started with a drive to Glencoe to our Host family to drop our gear and then for Jeannie and I to make a school visit to South School, Glencoe to have a talk with the kids at 12.25 then again at 2pm.
After we went for a ride to Lake Michigan for my first view of the Great Lake since arriving here a month ago. Also house spotting some Frank Lloyd Wight homes, very nice to see.
Having a chilled out day was really good and not having to drive to far as it was only an hours drive from Crystal Lake to Glencoe made it good. Having the Kelbers as a host family was awesome and being 1.5km from town and the race circuit made it so easy to chill out. Having the basement area to use when it was 22 degrees at night allowed us to stay cool, the difference from downstairs to the ground floor the next day was staggering, hit 33 degrees in the afternoon. Our Host family have this amazing dog called Simba, a Bernese mountain dog that was 2 years old.
So onto the Glencoe Grand Prix. I was entered in two racers and Jeannie in one. First race was at 9.35am being Masters 45+, made my day very hard by eating breakfast way to late, 8.30 was to close, to chilled, oh well, school boy mistake. It did do what I was meant to be able to do and that was to use this race as a warm up for the Masters 35+ Held later in the day.
I like to race and when I tried I felt sick. Legs good but felt sleepy, body trying to figure out what's more important, digesting food or supplying energy. In the end I got beaten into 5th place by not getting far enough forward when it mattered and also not fully committing myself in the sprint. So I was a bit peeved at first but turned that round making sure I would race hard in the 2nd race of the day. Mornings course was a short course with no real challenges while the afternoons course added on another circuit which had some dynamic corners and a hill to contend with.
The race started fast and I had to move up which took a few laps, I could see it was going to be hard as there was lots of attacking. I rode myself into the race and tried a few moves but everything was chased down. Towards the end with 5 laps to go 3 of us got away for a lap but reeled in then I went again using the downhill and corners taking Tim with me, by the time we got round and up the hill we had 10 seconds so we gave it full gas hoping to break the bunch which we did but man did I suffer, with two to go I had adjusted to the effort but could feel my legs where a little tired from racing in the morning, just pushed on. Tim was riding very strong and in the end he just had a more powerful sprint than me at the end. Still was happy with the result. Masters racing is hotly contested here in the States, well organised and supported by the riders, family's and the towns we race in, making it a family fun day out. Having a rest from racing for a week, get some steady riding in before racing 11 days in a row at The Tour of America Dairyland (T.O.A.D) phew!!
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