Scott's Right Of Way

Parallels over time

Kevin Dillard catches great photos of moments.  He shot a moment Sunday at Leonardtown that was a mirror of a photo some else took about 5 years ago at the Tacchino.

 

Leonardtown Criterium: the early bird gets the win (with little league, Poolesville, and yarn spinning)

Ok updates from last entry.  Liam's little league team is finally getting in some games.  They've been winning.  Liam's hitting is improving after some early struggles.

Jake's bike training has been going well.  Plan is still for him to go to Nationals in June.  He's been with the front group on the Contes Tuesday hill ride ("B" ride).

Saturday I did the Poolesville 35/45+ race.  I thought I was feeling ok, but got stuck behind the wrong guy on the 3rd time through the dirt road and had to expend too much to close the gap to the attacking front group.  I got popped off the back of the very strung out pack soon thereafter.  I decided to save my legs for the Leonardtown Crit on Sunday rather than continue chasing for 2 more laps

So, Sunday.  Leonardtown Criterium.  Leonardtown Maryland is in Southern Maryland.  A 1:45 drive according to Google maps.  With an 8am Junior race, Jake and I had to get up at.....4:45 and leave at 5:15.  OUCH!  There had been rain, but it wasn't raining.  The roads were a little moist in the morning.

Leonardtown is a 3-corner, 7/10th of a mile loop in the downtown of the old town.  There is a very sharp, tricky turn and two very high speed turns. 

Jake got race number 666, I kid you not.    His new nickname is "El Diablo"

He lined up with his teammates, Taylor Arney (16 -- the very very tall one) and Luke Klaussen (also 13 like Jake).  Luke is new and this would be his first race.  It was them against a huge number of kids from Rock Creek Velo (photos from Alison Middlestad a RCV parent).   

 

 Taylor immediately hammered off the front and was in TT mode.  Jake slotted onto a group of 4 RCV 15-18 jrs who were desperately chasing Taylor.    

Luke slotted into a group of about 5.   

Jake eventually got dropped off the chasing group of older boys about 1/3 of the way into the race.  But then Taylor slid out and crashed but didn't know he got a free lap so proceeded to chase back up to the RCV group.  He would duke it out with them.  He was outnumbered and they attacked him repeatedly.  He finished 3rd in the sprint.

 

Jake went into personal TT mode.  There were 2 older boys between him and Taylor's group of 4.  Jake rode alone but was never lapped by the lead group. (here he laps some smaller kids; they got on his wheel for just a few seconds)

He easily won the 10-14 and was 7th overall.

Luke looked good in his group.  Very comfortable for his first race.  He finished 4th in the 10-14 (that's some nice BAR points for the Squadra too).  

Immediately after the race, I asked Jake if he wanted to try the Cat 5 race (which started immediately).  He said sure.  I wanted him to get more pack experience even though I new his legs were too shot to finish.  So he jumped in the Cat 5 race (men's lowest, beginner category).  He did great.  Very comfortable in the pack and stayed right in there even when many got dropped.  But after 10 minutes, his legs said "no more" when a surge hit. 

His junior teammate Drew Teitlebaum did the Cat 5 instead of the junior race and finished, bringing home 14th.

We watched Coppi woman, Tara Taylor, fight hard to get 2nd in the women's Cat 4 race.

I did the 35/45+ Cat 4/5.  So this was a group that I felt I could do better in, although a flat fast crit is not my specialty (and my legs were a bit sore from Poolesville). Also lined up was Coppi Adam Austin and Luke's dad, Dan, who used to race in Colorado and is getting back into it with Luke.

I was pleased, generally.  I moved around the group comfortably and was in the top 5 probably 85% of the race. 
Mid race I was sitting in 3rd as we were totally strung out trying to catch a breakaway.  That hurt. 
Two guys were way off the front from early on (damn, why didn't I jump on that train).  After hard accelerations, I was slotted around 4th for the last 3/4 of the last lap, which was the all out rush for the line.   

I got pinched in the last corner and touched my brakes (damn).  I end up 7th in the field sprint and 9th overall.  Man, those drag race sprints to the line are just not my strength.  I need an extra 25 pounds for that.

 
     

At the race, they hadn't broken out the 35 and 45, so I'll be interested to see how I did among the 45+ guys. (I just checked and I was 2nd 45+, cool).

Jake and I grabbed a sandwich at a little cafe, and some nice peanut butter cup cookies (yum).

Got home and then had to coach Liam's little league game.  They won a tight, tough game.  Liam hit the ball hard, but right to someone.  We're getting close to playing serious baseball.  No more is it a series of errors and silly plays.

Loren has been doing some incredible spinning of her own yarn.  Very pro stuff
These race days are tough on her, and we appreciate it.