Improvements, LARPD Cross,

Had to skip the Stick and opted to race in the back yard this weekend.
Groovy T opted out of the Stick so I decided to race Saturday and get a good 4 hours of pedaling in on Sunday.

LARPD, kind of a small turnout, but a good showing still. I have been working on my starts and getting the intensity up from the whistle. Today was a good as I looked for every mouse hole I could find until I had open real estate to launch. Insane Shane set up a very twisty longish course today and the Livermore winds provided a lot of challenge. I managed to lead the first lap in a group of 4 with me being the only 35 B. A bobble in the sand found me gapped off this group and two 35ers closing in as we started lap 2.

I worked on keeping a gap through the twisties in the outback but a missed turn (undershoot) which put me on the wrong side of the tape and mildly off course. Not wanting to take advantage I self relegated and merged back onto the course soft pedaling to let the two catch. Anther bobble in the sand pit gave the ultimate winner the gap he needed for victory, but after the second lap I figured out how to get myself through the sand and things smoothed out the rest of the race.
The 3rd Pillar rider was running close behind so I worked on repeated hard accelerations through the twisty outback to make sure he got a good taste of the wind.

The 40 stairs of doom didn't feel so bad today, and I managed to find pep in my step as I ran up them (lift the knees). I also figured out what Olaf meant about getting the back straight going over the barriers. I felt it once or twice during the race and it seemed to smooth me out. Still a lot of work and practice to do, but at least now I have a some type of feel for what the form is.

In the end I held 3rd Pillar off and managed my best placing of the season in 2nd. Improvements for sure, but lots of work to do yet.

On Sunday Gianni, a few other Spidies, and I met in Pleasanton and hi-jacked a group ride. Well, it wasn't hard to do, the ride is pretty beginnerish with a good number of riders that are not to sure what holding a wheel means. Give em lots of space.
We rolled off into our own groove since we had enough riders to make a faster group.
The more that accomplished riders come out to that one, the better quality the ride becomes.
Sometimes there is a diamond in the rough that shows up. Perhaps a women rider with potential or maybe a junior with a love for two wheeled speed, both with a need and desire for guidance. Both with the eagerness for competition.

You never know where you will find the next star, they could be hiding right under the nose.