State Senior Crit and PLT 1: Just Watching

Yeah, the race entries and results would show that I raced this weekend but it ended up more of being a spectator this weekend at the Senior State Crit and PLT TT.

Senior State Crit
Another great race put on by TriPower. The temps were in the high 90s at race time. The good thing about the heat is that it doesn't take long to warmup.
We roll at the start and my front tire is almost flat - I call out to a teammate, Fishsticks, and he brings me a spare. (Must have been all those trips over the gravel parking lot to hit the porto-johns pre-race). I just sit up in the very back and fortunately, we just took a warmup lap around the first lap and with no hard turns, my tire doesn't roll. I get a free lap and tire change.
It must have been the heat but this was the slowest race I've been in at the Sportsplex. It was sub 24 avg. (This is typically a very fast course with Tuesday nite's hammer practice crits avg 26-27). I found myself up and down the pack. Pulled a lap or two, albeit at 22, and worked some at front but mostly stayed in middle to back of the pack. Watched attacks by Kyle, from Evolution Cycling who traveled down from D20, who got off the front early and often thru the race. Watched a few sketchy turns, squiggly lines and some folks riding on the grass. Watched the inevitable attacks by Fat Frog's Percy. He's fun to watch since he's good for a half-dozen attacks in a race. And watched Dinsey get off the front with an Evolution rider with about 7 laps to go. I thought it was going to stick but they were eventually caught with 1 to go. And then watched Robert from Kitty Hawk Cycling take the win.
Overall, I just paid my entry fee and watched a race from a good seat in the house. Finished 20th (of 41).

Photo by Kevin Dillard. More photos of the race can be found on Demoncats.com.

PLT #1
Last year I watched my times get faster with each of the PLT TTs. I guess this year will be no different as I set this year's time almost 2 mins slower than my PR on this course.
At the first 3 miles out, I watch this idiot driver pulling a boat pass an oncoming cyclist on his way back and squeezing me off the road.
I watched as my minute man, Kitty Hawk's Robert, pass me before my favorite pitstop on training rides - the G.R.I.T.S store (yes, that's right, it's Girls Raised in the South) - I love livin' in Chesapeake.
A few miles later as I sat up to stretch the back, I watched (heard) my 2 minute man yell at me to basically "HTFU", suck it up and stay down in my aero as he blew by me. Couldn't get the jersey to identify him but thanks for that kick in the butt to keep me going.

Congratulations to Jacob (Fiorucci/Cycor) for taking the 4s at 49 and change. Also props out to Tripower Cook for setting a new course record for the women (54:15).